[TN-Bird] Beauty and the Beast

August 22, 2005
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
Well, beast may be stretching it a bit because a Baird's Sandpiper even one  
heavily molted is pretty neat but the beauty part I got right. Just wondering  
what changes might have taken place at the pits required an after work  visit.
 
Two, first of season for me at Ensley, Buff-breasted Sandpipers were  
strutting their stuff when I arrived. These are two clean and slick looking  
immature 
birds. I got photos as they paced across the flats and I even got  a few 
plumage shots of the terribly worn Baird's. This bird has been hanging  around 
since last week and has changed very little.
 
The Pectoral Sandpiper numbers are growing slowly and the immature plumages  
of all the species make for nice studies. Now if this front will push in we  
might get some real changes in the make up of the numbers. With the Mississippi 
 River at almost 8 feet below zero, there is a lot of habitat for these 
travelers  to choose as feeding and resting areas.
 
 
Good  Birding!!!

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

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