[TN-Bird] Ensley Report / Thursday and Saturday

May 26 and 28, 2005
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
I met Mike O'Malley, from Clarksville TN, Thursday evening down at the pits  
and we were treated to at least 3 Painted Buntings with one perched within 
feet  of a male Baltimore Oriole. That was one bunch of color! Shorebirds were 
down  into the hundreds, mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers but there were a few 
Dunlin,  Least, White-rumped, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs and  
Semipalmated Plovers. Black-necked Stilt nests numbered about 25 active with a  
couple having week old young feeding. 
 
The Western Kingbird has now completed her nest and is waiting on a full  
clutch to start setting. It appears this might be the only nest this year after 
 
such a great number last year. The Shrike predation just may be too much right 
 around the plant. The Kestrels are staying close to their nest but have not  
started feeding young. Common Nighthawks can be seen out at all times  of the 
day as they are feeding young and at dusk we were treated to an  unexpected 
Osprey that tried to land on one of the tall towers but failed and  winged its 
way south.
 
On Saturday, I met an AR birder working on his TN list and we ticked off  
quite a few species but had to work to get a single Painted Bunting. The 
Western  
Kingbird was sitting on her nest as was the female Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 
on  President's Island. We had a Sharp-shinned Hawk at Ensley and I had 2 
Cooper's  at different locations in Memphis. 
 
Early that morning, I was searching an old area where I had previously seen  
Grasshopper Sparrows, when a small sparrow came up out of the wet grass. The  
bird was pretty far away but was too dark and colorful for a Grasshopper. My  
first thought was a late LeConte's but that also seemed wrong. I got one photo 
 and my last look gave me the impression of a Henslow's Sparrow. I just don't 
see  enough of them to know them well, especially when wet. Needless to say I 
could  not get the bird back up after it flew back down into the grass. I'll 
check the  bird again and have sent the photo around to others more familiar 
with the  species. I'll post it on my Spring Page soon.
 
The shorebird numbers were about the same as Thursday's but there were now  3 
Lesser Yellowlegs and only a single Dunlin. The best shorebirds were to come  
later on the MS River! I spent some time in the afternoon searching the river 
 which is cresting again after a 10 foot rise. It just doesn't look good for 
the  sandbar birds again this year. I had a few Caspian Terns feeding off of 
Mud  Island and Least Terns were seen on McKellar Lake.
 
On the upper end of the Loosahatchie Bar, I had the best birds of the day,  
along with a pair of Black-necked Stilts were TWO Whimbrel striding the sand.  
Good  Birding!!!

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



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