[TN-Bird] 21 Species of Shorebirds / Ensley/ Plus

April 27, 2005
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
After watching all the reports of a great fall out on the coast yesterday,  I 
thought a trip to the pits might yield a few goodies today, especially  with 
a stiff north wind blowing. I carved out 2 hours this AM from work but  it was 
way too little. I tried to get to all the nooks and crannies but did not  
have enough time. I did not see any Western Kingbirds (they are due any day) 
but  
the Painted Buntings were swinging in the trees and singing to beat the  band.
 
Shorebirds were spread about with over 2,000 counted in the time I had.  
Everything, except 4 Golden-Plovers, was in the settling ponds. The Golden were 
 
in a field to the west. Two mottled Black-bellied Plovers were a first of 
season  find. Semipalmated Plovers were scattered and Killdeer were on nests or 
 
tending young. Black-necked Stilt numbers are a little low but  plenty enough 
for any to enjoy. The only Greater Yellowlegs I saw was in  the company of a 
interior Willet in breeding plumage. There were Lesser  Yellowlegs feeding and 
fussing everywhere and at least 78 Solitary were in the  open enough to make 
the 
count but others I'm sure remained out of sight. Three  Spotted Sandpipers 
were seen flying with typical down bowed wings.
 
Semipalmated Sandpipers are still low in numbers with only 3 ferreted out  in 
the short time I had but that was more than Western Sandpipers at 1, a short  
billed male with bright scaps. I had my first of the season Western 
Sandpiper, a  big female on Sunday while scouting west TN sites for this coming 
weekend 
search  for a tickers list.
 
Least Sandpipers numbers grow and 2 Baird's Sandpipers in their  distinctive 
marbled breeding plumage were found in the bunch. Pectoral  Sandpipers were 
counted in huge blocks but few Dunlin could be found. Stilt  Sandpipers were 
represented by two individuals in mostly basic plumage where  this past weekend 
I 
had a lot of them in breeding attire. A single Short-billed  Dowitcher found 
off to itself was another first of season bird and there are  still 18 
Long-billed Dowitchers spread around the pools. I saw only 1 Wilson's  Snipe 
but did 
not push into the areas where I've been seeing them lately.
 
The Prettiest Bird of the Day award went to a full breeding plumaged,  female 
Wilson's Phalarope, first of season and best of show.
 
Other birds of note were; a single male Lesser Scaup in with the dabblers  in 
shallow water tipping up as best as he could. There were a lot of the  
expected Mallards, Blue-winged Teal and Shovelers but there was a surprise pair 
 of 
Black Ducks which I first thought might be Mottled but better looks revealed  
their true ID. 
 
A Sora has been feeding in one place for over a week now and a Nutria fed  in 
the same pool. They had hunted these invading rodents out because of the  
tremendous damage they do to the dikes but a least one is back.
 
Going down Riverport Road I've been having a Gobbler and 5 hens at one  
location almost every trip in and out but this AM I had a bird flying over the  
transmission lines that threw me for a loop. I'm not use to seeing a Turkey  
flying 200 feet up!
    
Good  Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett,  TN



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