For anyone who might stop by to search for the Red-necked Stint ...
This is one of our better shorebird sites in western KY, but it is ENTIRELY on
private land and we do not have an opportunity to talk with either the
landowners or farmers leasing the land very often. Personally it has been
several years since I saw anyone to confirm that it is OK to walk around the
area. Surrounding fields are all planted in soybeans and corn so care should be
taken to not damage crops, particularly the soybeans that are short enough to
walk down the rows.
Today was Sunday and there was no activity, but this week there could be
farming activity in the area including spraying of soybeans, mowing of weeds
around the body of water we have named Horseshoe Road Slough, or even some
roadside mowing.
The eBird hotspot marker is accurate for the body of water, but you have to
park along Horseshoe Road and walk down. We are currently using a small,
unplanted area of weeds and grass on the second of two bends in the
southeastern section of Horseshoe Road for parking (about due west of the eBird
hotspot marker). I doubt anyone will be there to re-mow the parking spot in
coming days, but that always might be a possibility. It is, however, about the
only place to park. Just keep in mind if a farmer comes along, we really
haven't seen anyone to ask permission to park here, so please be courteous.
Unfortunately, there really isn't any other place to park so we'll just keep
our fingers crossed that no problems arise.
If you walk to the back right corner of this small parking area, you can wade
thru the tall pigweed and skirt the right side of some taller soybeans to the
left and walk down between rows of some shorter beans on the right. I noticed
today that several soybean plants had been trampled, so please try not to do
that.
We then walk out into the shorter grasses, nutsedges, and cockleburs to reach
the receding mud shoreline of the main slough off to the east. It has currently
receded into two pools. There is a third narrower and deeper one to the right
(west) of where you walk down that typically has few birds,
Charlie found the bird in the middle (main) pool this morning, but it was in
the far eastern pool this afternoon. It was foraging with Semi and Least
Sandpipers, giving good comparison to size and structure. Other notable birds
were on eBird checklists including a single juv. Black Tern, a juv. Wilson's
Phalaropes, an Upland Sandpiper, and a juv. S-b Dowitcher.
It would be nice if anyone searching for the bird could update BIRDKY as well
as eBird. Anyone not subscribed to BIRDKY can email me during the day (although
I will be off hoping to see the eclipse in south-central KY) and I can forward
reports to the listserv if I have internet access.
Final word of caution ... please be courteous to anyone asking what you are
doing; we don't want to ruin a good thing we have in visiting this great
birding spot on private land.
bpb, Louisville (brainard AT mindspring.com)
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