[TN-Bird] Banded Pectoral Sandpiper at Ensley

Aug. 22 thru-26, 2008
Ensley Bottoms 
Shelby Co. TN
 
Just thought I'd catch up on the weather related shorebirds coming through  
Ensley. I ran down after the storms Friday for an hour and found lots of new  
arrivals but a bunch were acting like they would soon be back on their way  
south. Lots of immature Westerns in the mix plus a bunch of Semipalmated 
Plovers  
added to the numbers already there.
 
On Saturday, I was joined by Drew Wirwa, down from UT Knoxville for a touch  
up on plumage and ageing of the birds passing through. We ran into Q. B. Gray  
and had a good bunch of birds to pick through until a Cooper's made a few  
unsuccessful low runs and then soared for a time just to keep the birds 
harassed 
 and many left going to the river, most not returning till late afternoon. We 
had  two stunning, picture perfect Baird's Sandpipers and close looks at a 
lot of the  variations in color and wear on the birds present. One of the many 
Semipalmated  Plovers was my first immature for the year. Saturday afternoon 
the Western  Sandpipers returned for photos and again a single Buff-breasted 
was 
found  hiding in the spread fields. Q.B. showed us a photo he had taken of a 
Upland  Sandpiper that had evidently been chased out of the pigweed onto the 
open  pits and had tiny Least Sandpipers walking all around it, almost  between 
its legs.
 
The Sunday rains brought in more Westerns and immature Semipalmated  
Sandpipers with a molting Golden-Plover dropping in at the magic 10 AM time, 25 
 
Lesser Yellowlegs and 2 Stilt Sandpipers making the noon flight. The  numbers 
of 
Solitary Sandpipers went up with almost half being bright immature  birds. Two 
Black Terns spent a little time foraging over the pits in the  afternoon.
 
A quick Tuesday trip held an immature Short-billed Dowitcher in a  strange 
plumage and a basic plumaged Stilt Sandpiper. Still waiting for  immature 
Pectorals having seen only one so far this season. I did photograph an  adult 
PECTORAL SANDPIPER that was BANDED somewhere in the US, hopefully it  can be 
traced 
as it not only had a green flag but 4 more colored bands.  Sixteen shorebird 
species, but far below the expected mix at this time. The  migration has seemed 
not only early when the adults pushed through but  the birds don't appear to 
lay over as long as they usually do in the  Fall.
 
Five Northern Shovelers and a dozen Blue-winged Teal plus a single  
Green-winged flying in Monday, announced the official start of duck  migration.
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6300 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that  lifts my heart to the heavens.



**************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel 
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