[TN-Bird] Golden Eagle - Mississippi River Hawk Watch

October 22, 2005
Mississippi River - Mud Island,
Ensley Bottoms,
Shelby Co. TN
 
Went by the river first thing this AM, at 7:30 there were just a few birds  
moving; 21 American Coots, 10 Ruddy Ducks, 1 Green-winged Teal, 1 Horned Grebe, 
 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 2 Gadwall, 9 Least Sandpipers, a few Killdeer and 2 DC  
Cormorants all on the water.
 
I went down to Ensley and found the Common Loon had been joined by a  lot of 
new birds and new species at TVA Lake. New for the season were 1 Lesser  Scaup 
(hopefully first of thousands to occupy this small lake this winter)  and 3 
Ring-necked Ducks. Coots have almost taken the place over and there were  the 
other ducks that have been there a couple of weeks.
 
At the pits, I arrived in time to watch an adult Peregrine clean house and  
followed shortly by a Merlin that just breezed through. After the Wind Birds  
settled down, I found one vociferous Greater Yellowlegs, 1 very quite Lesser  
Yellowlegs, 3 crisply decked out juvenile plumaged Pectoral Sandpipers, 1  
Dunlin, 1 Western Sandpiper and 3 Wilson's Snipe. One of the immature Snipe, as 
 
usual thought it was invisible, and allowed me to get within 8 feet for some  
frame filling shots. After the second run, by the Peregrine a lot of the birds  
went to the river and some even headed south, so I decided to go sit on the  
river and see what the front was going to drag through.
 
Good choice on my part because some fine birds passed through between 11 AM  
and 4 PM. One of the best birds came straight down the river and at first at a 
 distance as the bird came right at me I thought it was a Turkey Vulture but 
I  didn't see one of those all day. This bird was steady as a rock as it came 
on  and then I knew it was most likely a great bird for Shelby Co, and sure 
enough  it turned in a few circles and showed off the underwing and tail 
pattern 
of a  GOLDEN EAGLE. A Super bird but it had some great traveling companions. 
Raptor  wise, I also had the following; 2 Bald Eagles 7 Red-tailed Hawks, 4  
Red-shouldered Hawks, 2 Peregrines, 4 Northern Harrier ( more will move 
tomorrow  for sure), 4 Cooper's Hawk, 4 Sharpe-shinned Hawk, 1 Merlin (went out 
of 
its way  to dive on a Harrier that was minding its own business), 3  Kestrel 
and 
6 that didn't make the IDed list. A pretty nice list of 10  species.
 
Floating down the river or flying above I also had these birds; 2 flyby  
Greater Yellowlegs and 3 traveling Herring Gulls, 153 Dc Cormorants, 48 
American  
Coot, 7 Mallards, 16 Ruddy Duck, 4 Green-winged Teal, 76 Gadwall, 32 Northern  
Pintail, 2 Lesser Scaup, 48 Shoveler, 7 Wigeon,  and about 400 more  ducks 
that were too far up or too far away.
 
My heart went pitty-patter when 2 swallows danced into view, both sported  
pale rumps but they both kept going north and out of sight. Probably Cliff  
Swallows, I've not had any in 3 weeks, but we are long over due for a  
Cave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe tomorrow they will come back  south.................
 
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135


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