[birdky] RPT: Transient lakes 17 May 2008 + morning warblers

Matt Stickel and I did an afternoon tour of transient lakes in Warren and 
Christian counties.
 
There were a lot of birds (1000+) at McElroy with 99% of them down in the 
southwest corner. It was sad to see some stickups appearing a mid-lake, a sign 
that without rain the "lake" will be gone in a week or so without more rain. 
 
Quick, guesstimate rundown of birds:
 
Semi Plover ... maybe 350+
Killdeer 25+
Black-bellied Plover 10+3+1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Lesser Yellowlegs (maybe 50)
Spotted Sandpiper 10-12+
Semi Sandpipers maybe still outnumbered by Least 2 or 3:1 
Least Sandpiper (maybe 500 ... many working "drier" areas)
White-rumped Sandpiper 10-15+
Pectoral Sandpiper (maybe 50)
Dunlin (I counted 185)
Short-billed Dowitcher (at least 37)
Stilt Sandpiper 10-12
Black Tern 12
waterfowl pretty much same as noted previously including the stunning Surf 
Scoter
at least 1 American Pipit heard
 
We drove west to Morgan's Pond where we also had 13 spp of shorebirds, but 
replaced Greater Yellowlegs and Stilt Sandpiper with Ruddy Turnsonte (6) and 
Red-necked Phalarope (6) ... a fair trade we thought :o) There were fewer birds 
than at McElroy but several hundred, again mostly Least and Semi Sandpipers 
with a few Dunlin and Short-billed Dowitchers. The phalaropes (3 females and 3 
males) were out in the lake away from the shoreline, usually in one field of 
view in the scope, picking insects off the surface of the water.
 
We ended up at Swallow Spring, where a few hundred shorebirds included about 
the same mix including ca. 25 Dunlin, 6 White-rumps, and 1 Short-billed 
Dowitcher.
 
This morning Matt and I met on our family farm in eastern Jefferson County. 
When I arrived, Matt had a singing Connecticut Warbler all staked out! To that 
we added 3 Mourning Warblers, 1 Canada Warbler (heard), and about 10 other 
species. There were fewer migrants in the woods than the previous day, but 
still a nice level of activity.
 
bpb, Frankfort

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