[Bristol-Birds] Fw: [TN-Bird] Memphis Shorebird Migration

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 9:17 AM
Subject: [TN-Bird] Memphis Shorebird Migration


> May 18, 2004
> Ensley Bottoms
> Shelby Co. TN
>
> Dee and Dave Worley, members of the famed Bristol Bird Club, gave me a
call
> yesterday as they were passing through on their way to Texas. I met them
at 4
> PM at Ensley and we had a nice evening of birding. One pair of Western
> Kingbirds was cooperative and with a little effort we had long, perfect
eye level
> views of a Painted Bunting male at about 60 feet in bright sunlight. A
Bald Eagle,
> Mississippi Kite and a Red-tailed Hawk filled our glasses, all in one
field
> of view at one time.
>
> The "Pits" gave us great looks at all the species Mike and I had on Monday
> except we did not see the Sanderling but a Sora played peek-a-boo with us
for
> quite a while. We also bumped up the Black-necked Stilt nest count from 20
to 25
> finding a remote bunch in an area we could not get to on Monday.
>
> We witnessed two melee's between groups of unpaired Black-necked Stilts,
both
> males and females participate and the sound is amazing but the acrobatics
as
> the males dance and jump up and try to push the other birds down into the
> water is a sight to behold. At one time there 9 stilts in one fight. The
females
> run about and mostly just add to the sound as the males thrash about. This
just
> lets you know the almost human intensity these birds go through just to
pick
> mates.
>
> We watched two pair of BN Stilts go through the mating ritual down to the
> "kiss" and another inexperienced pair try unsuccessfully to mate but the
female
> held her head too high and the male fell off 4 times until both gave up
and
> walked away, No kiss that time.
>
> The total numbers were way down but we experienced a wonderful migration
as
> small groups of birds called and left flying low over us with a beautiful
> sunset illuminating them. We saw and heard the different calls of
Semipalmated
> Sandpipers, breeding plumaged Dunlin and Short-billed Dowitchers, Stilt
> Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped and
Least Sandpipers
> as they passed low over our heads, vaulting higher and higher; they will
rest
> tomorrow somewhere much nearer the Canadian border and hopefully some
other
> lucky birders will enjoy their presence.
>
> We finished off the day standing in a parking lot watching displaying
"Bull
> Bats." Dave and I both are old enough to remember that as the only name
for
> Common Nighthawks when we were kids playing ball under the street lights.
They
> would stair step mount higher and higher and then plunge toward the ground
> almost exactly like giant Horned Larks but unfortunately there was too
much noise
> pollution to hear the roar from their feathers as they abruptly pulled out
of
> the death defying dive just in the nick of time. Aaah! to live life on the
> edge.........
>
> Another great afternoon as we watched Wind Birds heading north with the
> consolation that the first returnees will grace my glasses in just a
little more 4
> weeks;o)
>
>
> Good Birding!!!
>
> Jeff R. Wilson
> OL'COOT / TLBA
> Bartlett, TN
>
>
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