[TN-Bird] Down The Natchez Trace/Gulf Trip

Rob Lane and I drove the entire Natchez Trace from Nashville to Natchez
last Wednesday/Thursday, followed by a quick trip to the gulf.
 

Tennessee highlights included Wild Turkeys at numerous places,  3
Pileated Woodpeckers together at Laurel Hill Lake (just off the Trace),
and a Loggerhead Shrike just north of mile 358.

 

Best stop in Alabama was at Colbert's Ferry on Pickwick Lake, where 40
Wilson's Snipe were feeding on an open mudflat.

 

We stopped by Big Branch Marsh NWR in Louisiana briefly, and saw first
hand the numerous downed trees in the forest just north of Lake
Pontchartrain.  Not much bird activity in area open, but did have a
small flock of Greater Yellowlegs fly over.

 

On Saturday, we joined the Coastal Birding Association of Alabama for a
field trip to the Chevron Refinery in Pascagoula, MS.  Among the towers,
hundreds of miles of piping, etc, is quite a diverse habitat.  The trip
started with a bang - a fly-over Merlin, along with first of spring Tree
and Barn Swallows, as well as numerous Purple Martins.  The forested
areas were quiet - much damage from Katrina.  Both Pelicans, great looks
at Red-breasted Mergansers, Mottled Ducks, Common Moorhens, ~150
Black-crowned Night-herons, and a barge covered with Black Skimmers were
other highlights.

 

We made two attempts, without success to find the Harris' Hawk on
Dauphin Island.

 

Jon Mann

Nashville, TN


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