[TN-Bird] Great start to the New Year!
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 2 Jan 2004 08:49:52 EST
Jan. 1, 2004
Memphis to Reelfoot
160 miles - 94 species
My New Year started when I awoke to the low hooting of a Great Horned Owl at
1:40 AM just outside my window. A fine, sunny morning broke as I turned out of
the driveway but that only lasted till noon when the clouds drifted over and
it progressively got worse. I ended at Reelfoot in Burnt Woods at 5:30 with a
pouring rain plus unexpected flashes of lightening rumbling across the sky, a
Barred Owl and a Screech were vying for a spot on the list.
I had headed north in the morning, ticking off the usual road side species
and at Covington had 6 American Kestrels in view at one time in an area that
normally has 2 nesting pair during the summer. The Kestrel total ended at 28
for
the day; I tallied 27 on the last trip up there. Loggerhead Shrikes could only
muster about half that number, a little down from normal.
At Halls, I studied a large 1000 plus flock of Lapland Longspurs, clod
hopping in a plowed cornfield plus Pipits in the cottonseed waste piles and a
surprise pair of Western Meadowlarks my first in a few years at that location.
At Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge, a good bit of time was spent scanning the
large aggregation of waterfowl and produced 17 SPECIES including 4 species of
geese, 7 Canvasback and a lone Redhead. The normal complement of Red-tailed
Hawks, Harriers and a single adult Bald Eagle scavenged for cripples as the
provider gunshots roared in the background.
In the Obion River Bottoms, I had a line of 17 Wild Turkeys taking a New Year
stroll and at my favorite sparrow area in the Bogota Bottoms, I had a nice
selection of birds all found in their appropriate niches with 2 LeConte's and a
bonus Short-eared Owl that flushed from within feet of the same place it
roosted on my last visit a month ago. The sparrow species for the day ended at
10,
plus numerous Juncos with Nancy Moore later showing me 4 Trees and a Fox in a
location she had them LAST YEAR (Monday).
At Reelfoot Lake I added 3 more species of ducks for a day total of 20 plus a
single White Pelican, probably an injured bird as there was one counted in
the same area on the CBC. I hunted the south portion of the lake from Champy
Pocket to Samburg TWICE without finding a loon and then on the last pass at
Champy, I located my only Horned Grebe.
The wind was up and the clouds were down as I picked up Nancy to bird the Air
Park area. Our very first bird was that outstanding VERMILION FLYCATCHER,
that so many have enjoyed but try as we might, no Northern Waterthrush, Orange
Crowned Warbler nor Creeper that she had the first of the week. Overall numbers
of ducks are way down but still hunters everywhere.
We found another 14 species in the rainy afternoon, with Least Sandpipers a
surprise but no countable Dunlin, although a distant flock of birds hurrying
away from us, across a Rice field, were probably that species. Western
Meadowlarks were seen briefly again as they changed grass patches and a few
Rusty
Blackbirds were gleaned from the huge flocks of birds congregating in the rice
fields but no Brewer's.
Lots of holes in the winter bird list yet to be filled but lots of luck
produced singles for Turkey Vulture, Cooper's Hawk, EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
(this is
the second time I could find only one up there but then no House Finches at
all) among others for my fresh, fledgling year list.
As my Dad would have said, "It was a DAMP fine day";o)
May your New Year be filled with many marvelous feathered wonders,
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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