[birdky] Western Ky 25-27 April 2008

Joanie and I birded western Kentucky the past 3 days with the following 
highlights:

4-25
MCELROY
Surf Scoter
Willet (40)
Wilson's Phalarope

GUTHRIE SWAMP
Bald Eagle feeding chicks
Long-billed Dowitcher (5)

MORGAN'S POND
Black-necked Stilt (3)

4-26
LOWER HICKMAN BOTTOMS/FULTON CO
Snowy Egret (3 Long Point Unit/Reelfoot NWR)
Mississippi Kite
Red-tailed Hawk (juvenile Krider's)
Peregrine Falcon (roar of air through wings heard while stooping before the 
bird was seen!)
Sora (several heard calling from flooded fields)
Black-necked Stilt (13)
Dowitcher species (distant flock of approximately 45 put up by falcon)
Long-billed Dowitcher (5)
Indigo Bunting (many flocks with a starburst of 40+ exploding from a field in 
Kentucky Bend)
Bobolink (4 flocks totalling approximately 185 along levee)  

Two of these flocks converged near the pumping station and Joanie and I sat in 
the truck closely surrounded by about 100 singing Bobolinks for several 
minutes.  I don't remember being that close to so many singing at once and the 
experience was unearthly.

A drive along the levee now is like a drive through Oz with the clover in bloom 
and flocks of buntings, bobolinks, and orioles mixed with butterflies.  It's 
truly magical.

BARKLEY
Western Grebe (above dam)

KY DAM
Cattle Egret (Wave after wave arriving from the south and flying across 
Kentucky Lake reminded me of watching them migrating just off the coast of 
Texas in the spring.)
Surf Scoter (2 above dam)

4-27
KY DAM 
Surf Scoter (2)

BARKLEY
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant (many incubating at Kuttawa)  Cattle Egrets and Little 
Blue Herons nest building.

Warblers encountered were mostly breeding species and migrant flocks were 
dominated by Yellow-rumped.  Several Palm Warblers and Blackpolls were present.

MORGAN'S POND
Sora (calling)
Black-necked Stilt (3)

MCELROY
Surf Scoter
Semi Plover
Both Yellowlegs
Solitary
Spotted
Least
Pec
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher (5)
Wilson's Snipe
Ruff
American Pipit

McElroy is receding now with good shorebird habitat available.  Morgan's Pond 
is stable with very little habitat at this time.  The Upper Hickman Bottoms in 
Fulton County are mostly flooded and the bridge at Hickman is partially washed 
out and closed.  There is plenty of water in the lower bottoms and shorebird 
habitat will last through spring migration.

I am considering leading a field trip to the transient lakes in Warren County 
this coming Saturday if shorebird numbers remain good.  Monitor birdky for 
updates later this week.

David L. Roemer
Bowling Green, Ky.











      
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