[Bristol-Birds] management of shorebirds at Paddle Creek Pond
- From: "BBC Net" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'Bristol Bird Club'" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2014 18:53:34 -0400
Paddle Creek Pond 12 May 2011.JPG
Shorebirds at Paddle Creek Pond 2012
Those of you who read Bristol Birds Net more closely
are likely paying attention to the early passage of shorebirds
reported in our region. It gets better in the coming weeks.
September usually has some surprises.
The Bristol Bird Club shorebird management and
study area at Paddle Creek Pond in eastern Sullivan County,
has presented a few challenges. We are in our fifth year
of record keeping and fourth year of habitat manipulation.
Birders, who have not found enough exposed mudflats
to invite stopover from passing shorebirds, can take heart in
the next six weeks or so.
Dry weather has seriously impacted the shoreline.
Glossy ibis paddle creek full body TWO sep 16 2009.JPGIt left so much of the
flats exposed throughout
the growing season that
an abundance of vegetation
has overgrown the otherwise
exposed areas.
In the late summer of 2013,
we had too much water in the pond and were not able
to lower the water to get adequate flat exposure.
The rainfall thru August 19 of last year was 44.52 inches
while the same period this year was only 22.69. That is too
much water last year and not enough this year. We were
white ibis paddle creek ponds aug 2009.JPG5.45 inches below normal
thru August 19 of this year.
We started to draw down the
pond Tuesday and some of you
will see the mudflats come into
adequate exposure if we don't get an overabundance of
rainfall in coming weeks.
A meeting Tuesday with the Crumley Family Farm owners
was productive. BBC has asked for a continued drawdown this
fall as long as it does not obstruct farm operations.
At first the owners thought it would be better
to increase the inflow and raise the level
to a more full pond. We explained that the
exposed mudflats at this season best provide food
and resting habitat for the birds as well as observation
opportunities for birders.
We are not at a record low level. We went
well below this same level in 2009 and 2010. An
earlier start to the drawdown season brought us
into prime habitat and attracted many good birds
early on in those years.
The mudflats did not become overgrown with
vegetation in previous years. They are now.
It remains to see how extensive we can expose
mudflats. The farm owners suspect there is a
leak of some type which they believe may be in
the bank. Even in dry years, such a leak may be
contributing to much drawdown that we
attribute to the weather and lack of rainfall.
They say it is obvious that the pond is self-limiting
In some ways. They think it drops to a certain
level and then stops falling.
We cannot lower the water level by opening
the valve on the wheel gate. It is so old and
rusty it might jam open or break and then the
pond drain completely, taking away the ability
for the cattle to use it and thus take adjacent
pasture out of the grazing rotation.
That would also eliminate the pond's use of
water birds and our good observation seriously
limited.
Whenever we begin drawdown, we do so by
pumping the water from the Crumley Family
Farm pond with the permanently installed
electric pump up to the Chad Baker family
ponds in the back which are off limits to
birding. This is beyond the gate at the back
of the access road and at the top of the hill.
Baker previously let us bird there when he
was building their family house atop the
hill overlooking the ponds on his property.
However, when the family moved into the
completed house, he asked us to discontinue
birding on his property beyond the gate.
Recently, he has approached birders
and told them to leave his property. We
have not been able to get birders to honor
the request and it is a potential limiting
Issue which may eventually close off all
of our access including the lower and
large pond down by the sawmill and
Crumley home.
We cannot pump water up to the Baker
ponds just anytime because we might
cause them to overflow. He regulates
the ponds carefully because he uses
them as a training site and field trial
site for the Northeast Tennessee
Retriever Club.
At the present, the club does not
show any fall dog trials scheduled
for the Baker farm this year.
However, unannounced and informal
events such as training activities and
workshops may be planned.
If drawdown exposes more extensive
mud flats fairly quickly, then fall
shorebirds and waders may be
readily available as in the past.
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
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