[birdky] RPT: MITCHELL LAKE TODAY

It sure felt different this morning with 49 degrees and 15 to 20 mph north 
winds on the mudflats.  The birds seem to notice too as small groups of peeps 
would pick up and continue moving around for brief periods before heading for 
the skies.  The lake level is up due to recent heavy rain and many birds are 
using the small islands on the east side of Mitchell where viewing is obscured 
by trees and knee high sedges.   A few others remain on the still expansive but 
disappearing flats on the northwest side including a very crisp juvenile 
black-bellied plover that has a strong urge to stay right in front of the 
banding station on the near edge.  I flushed this bird 3 different times while 
obtaining photographs and it would land a couple hundred yards away only to fly 
right back as soon as I backed off a few yards.   Finally I stationed myself 
about 20 yards from where it seemed to want to be and stood stock still for 
about 10 minutes as it cautiously approached from the far point.  It decided 50 
yards was as close as it would venture so I left it alone to go where it 
wished.  Highlights include:

A. wigeon  1
Blue-w teal  50
Great egret  25
Snowy egret  1
Black-b plover  1
Killdeer  50+
Gr yellowlegs  1
L  yellowlegs  15+
Spotted sandpiper  1
Least sandpiper  100+
Pectoral sandpiper  20+
Stilt sandpiper  7
Wilson's snipe  7
Fish crows
Grasshopper sparrow  1

Scott Record
Ragland Ky

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