[birdky] TVA Shorebird Meeting

May 12, 2005
Memphis/ Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
I've played hooky from work the last two days and been in a meeting at  Ducks 
Unlimited and also in the field at Ensley Bottoms in Memphis. The  Tennessee 
River Valley Shorebird Monitoring Meeting was attended by over 30 TVA  
officials, members of the USFW Service and wildlife officials from TN-AL-KY. 
 
The first day was filled with discussions on Goals and Objectives in  
initiating and identifying potential monitored sites within the TN River  
Valley, 
from which data could be used to set baselines for habitat and its usage  by 
shorebirds. Randy Wilson, USFW from Vicksburg, MS presented an  informative 
overview and insights of the goals, objectives, partners, lessons  learned and 
successes of the Lower Mississippi Joint Venture shorebird  monitoring program, 
to 
give TVA a jump start on organizing such for the  Tennessee River Valley. 
 
The afternoon session was turned over to Brian Harrington, Senior  Scientist, 
Manomet, Center for Conservation Sciences in Massachusetts. Mr.  Harrington 
for took us through the protocols, methods and census techniques  of the 
International Shorebird Survey. A time was spent with break out  groups looking 
at 
maps of the TN River Valley and identifying sites and  exchanging info on 
prioritization and responsible  agencies of potential monitoring sites within 
the 
valley drainage. The  rest of the afternoon. Brian Harrington went through 
surveying techniques,  estimating concentration of shorebirds and key points 
and 
tips on ID.
 
The following day was spent in the field at Ensley Bottoms, where we  applied 
Brian Harrington's methods of flock estimates when we  separated into groups 
and were amazed at the general consensus reached by  the 7 groups on numbers 
and species in a flock of 4,000 Wind Birds. We  had a break for lunch, at where 
else, Interstate Bar-B-Q after which some had to  leave to travel back to 
their jobs but some of us stayed through the evening, in  fact 3 of us stayed 
till dark. 
 
In the afternoon, the group was treated to two exciting and up close  
encounters with a hunting Peregrine Falcon and the evasive maneuvers of a 
Lesser  
Yellowlegs, taken again and again to escape being a lunch item. Later we  were 
to 
witness a mass exodus of shorebirds as they gathered in front of us  and took 
off in clamorous groups again and again, flying over the steam plant to  
destinations far to the north. 
 
We enjoyed 17 species over the day: Semipalmated Sandpiper, Killdeer  with 
young, Black-necked Stilts-many on nests, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs  with 
great comparisons, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated  
Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper -1, Least Sandpipers-huge number, White-rumped  
Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers -second in total numbers, Dunlin, Stilt  
Sandpiper, 
Short-billed Dowitcher-just getting here in the last few days in  numbers, 
Long-billed -1 exact reverse in species between the two from last  weekend, 
Wilson's 
Phalarope-3 males which later we were to watch, in the setting  sun, migrate 
north.
 
I'd like to thank, Hill Henry, Jason Mitchell and the others on the TVA  
staff, for the invitation and organizing the meeting, bringing together and  
keeping this large group in focus and running on time and especially Brian  
Harrington for sharing his extensive, in depth knowledge and expertise of  my 
beloved 
Wind Birds. 
 
The efforts and time put in by these individuals at this meeting will  
benefit both the birds and the people of our region and beyond,  in providing 
another, fast dwindling group of birds, stop over habitat  during their 
migration 
time through the TN River Valley.
 
Good  Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett,  TN


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