[TN-Bird] Black-bellied Whistling Ducks - Ensley Bottoms - Plus

June 6, 2009
Ensley Bottoms
President's Island
Shelby Co. TN
 
One pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks has become regular at the  "Pits" 
so nesting may be in the plans. They lounge most of the day along with  the 
3 Shovelers and numerous batching male Blue-winged Teal. It has been a good 
 year for Mallard broods with females escorting broods of up to 13 young.  
One female has brought her brood of 12 to fledging stage, pretty good  
considering the number of snakes, turtles, Bobcats, Coyotes and Raccoons in  
the 
bottoms. The 3 male and single female Lesser Scaup are still hanging out at  
TVA Lake plus 3 Ruddy at Robco Lake.
 
A first for me at the "Pits" was a male Common Nighthawk vocalizing while  
sitting on a fence. I got full frame shots of this usually cryptic bird. I  
heard the call and started to scan the sky only to realize the bird was  
perched.
 
A Spotted Sandpiper appears to be nesting again at the "Pits" for the  
second year. Only Killdeer, Black-necked Stilts (one pair has just hatched  
young) plus 2 White-rumped Sandpipers were the only other shorebirds found. We  
will still get laggards for a few more weeks before the first returning 
birds  around the 22nd on this month.
 
On President's Island, I photographed the male Scissor-tail Sitting on  
their nest!! and 3 Western Kingbird nests.  Over the last week, I've seen  
Mockingbirds chasing Western Kingbirds from their nest sites with 2 pair  
abandoning nests they had started. I guess our resident birds are getting fed 
up  
with these upstarts. I found a single Western Kingbird just over the state  
line in Mississippi off 51 Highway but did not have the time to watch it in 
the  pouring down rain but there might be a nest...................  
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.

**************We found the real â??Hotel Californiaâ?? and the â??Seinfeldâ?? 
diner. What will you find? Explore WhereItsAt.com. 
(http://www.whereitsat.com/#/music/all-spots/355/47.796964/-66.374711/2/Youve-Found-Where-Its-At?ncid=eml
cntnew00000007)

=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at http://www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                       MAP RESOURCES
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________

Other related posts: