[TN-Bird] Ensley Turnover / Lo' Man River /Summer doldrums - not?

July 28, 2005
Ensley Bottoms,
Mud Island
Shelby Co. TN
 
A late afternoon trip to see what the north wind is delivering revealed a  
turnover from the previous day. The Stilt Sandpipers had moved on and there had 
 
been a drop in most species except Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers. There 
are  still a ton of birds to look through and I was able to locate another 
first of  season bird in a worn adult BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.  In the photos the 
very 
worn  tertials and coverts can be seen with a few basic feathers peeking  
through.
 
At the river front, the Mississippi River has fallen to minus 2.1 feet and  
birds are using the bars. On Dacus and Loosahatchie Bars, I saw 13 scattered  
Black-necked Stilts along with Killdeer, a lot of peeps which were mostly 
Least,  2 Spotted Sandpipers, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs and last but not least 
another 
first  of season species, PIPING SANDPIPER. This is the time to see Piping 
along 
the  Mississippi on the sandbars. I've had as many as 6 on Island 13 at one 
time. Be  sure to watch for the banded birds and report them to further the 
knowledge of  this critically endangered species.
 
Tern wise, I had 21 Least, 2 Common and 1 Black plus 4 Great Blue  Herons, 5 
Common Egrets and a single Snowy. I would expect Wood Storks to  show here 
along the Mississippi River soon. There were a few, storm driven  Storks, at 
Duck 
River Refuge after Dennis passed through. 
 
With the north wind there should be new birds all weekend to sort through  
and the temps will be more pleasant than last weekend.
 
On another note,  just to show you what you can find in the summer if  you 
just get out and look; on July 25 a Northern Gannet  was photographed at Bull 
Shoals Dock in Arkansas. Like I've always  preached, there is not a lack of 
good 
birds in the summer just a lack of birders  in the field.  

Good  Birding!!!

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

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