[tn-bird] July Big Day (very late)

(This posting is EXTREMELY late due to a problem I encountered in sending 
messages to tn-bird and some level of inattentiveness on my part. I'm only 
sending this now because I felt that despite the tardiness of this report some 
of you may still be interested in our forays. Again, I am very sorry for the 
delay.)


Saturday, July 20, 2002
Reelfoot Lake (Lake Co.) to Memphis (Shelby Co.), TN
4:30 am to midnight
540 miles!


Not many birders have any desire to spend an entire day in the heat and 
humidity of a typical Tennessee summer, but that's just what Chris Sloan and 
myself did this Saturday in our attempt at a July big day. The record was an 
impressive, but seemingly surmountable 116 species. The key would be to find as 
many of the resident breeding birds as possible. A task we knew would be 
difficult given that many birds had stopped singing and some had already begun 
migration and post-breeding dispersal. Those we missed we would have to make up 
for in shorebirds and waders.

The day got off to a good start when we found an EASTERN SCREECH-OWL and a 
screaming BARN OWL in close succession. As day began to break we headed for 
Walnut Log Road where we found both BARRED and GREAT HORNED OWLS to give us all 
four of the expected owls. As we entered Walnut Log Road we were treated to 
wave after wave of YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS flying to roosts. As we slowly 
drove along the road we found calling ACADIAN FLYCATCHER, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, 
WOOD THRUSH, SUMMER TANAGER, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO and NORTHERN PARULA. As 
expected, some birds that are abundant breeders in the area were very quiet and 
stealthy. An example of this was PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS which are very abundant 
breeders, but which proved at least a little difficult to find. All of the 
expected woodpeckers were found with good numbers of PILEATED WOODPECKERS noted.

After Walnut Log it was off to the hills surrounding the eastern edge of the 
lake. On past big days this area has been good for particular species and it 
did not disappoint. Once again this was the only area in which we found BLUE 
GROSBEAK, BROWN THRASHER, BROAD-WINGED HAWK and CEDAR WAXWING. It also produced 
a bonus bird when a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH called from a ravine. This bird may 
have been a migrant as they are not usually noted here during the breeding 
season.

Black Bayou produced little of interest with the exception of at least one 
CATTLE EGRET in amongst several LITTLE BLUE HERONS. As we were leaving Black 
Bayou Chris showed that his eyes are as sharp as ever when he spotted a lone 
CLIFF SWALLOW in with a large number of PURPLE MARTINS and NORTHERN 
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS.

The south end of Reelfoot Lake produced only OSPREY, LEAST TERN and RING-BILLED 
GULL and so we were off toward the south. A quick stop at the scissor-tailed 
flycatcher spot found nothing but an AMERICAN KESTREL, and we were thwarted in 
our attempt to find eurasian collared doves. However, Everett Lake gave us hope 
when we found 100+ AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS in two large groups on the water. 
Whites Lake NWR yielded large numbers of GREAT and SNOWY EGRETS, but no white 
ibis as was found earlier in the week. However, a stop at the observation tower 
hit paydirt when we stumbled across a single immature WOOD STORK. Also found 
here were our only SPOTTED SANDPIPER and SONG SPARROW for the day. 

After Whites Lake, we were off for Memphis at about 3pm. The long respite in 
the air-conditioned car was much needed after baking in the oppressive heat. We 
prayed for clouds, but they never came and the sun continued to beat down upon 
us. We stood at 98 species and figured that we still had a chance, although it 
was a long shot. We would need a few things to go our way.

As we arrived in Memphis around 4:30 pm we first stopped at Eagle Lake to look 
for the anhinga reported here last week. Although no anhinga was found we did 
see a single BLUE-WINGED TEAL and were really surprised when a KING RAIL called 
a couple of times. 

We arrived at Ensley Bottoms around 5 pm with high hopes. Immediately we added 
CANADA GOOSE and GREATER YELLOWLEGS at TVA lake. A EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE was a 
nice find on a utility pole around the power plant. Past the power plant we 
stumbled across two COMMON NIGHTHAWKS. One sat on a fencepost and the other on 
a powerline. What an odd sight! PAINTED BUNTING did not disappoint at his usual 
haunt and WESTERN KINGBIRDS were found as we headed toward the pits. We were 
very happy to find a good showing of shorebirds on the pits, including large 
numbers of BLACK-NECKED STILTS and PECTORAL and LEAST SANDPIPERS. In lesser 
numbers were several SEMIPALMATED and WESTERN SANDPIPERS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 
STILT SANDPIPER and SOLITARY SANDPIPER. A single SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and two 
DOWITCHER SP. were also noted. But the real winner of the shorebird show was a 
single REEVE found earlier in the day by Jeff Wilson. 

We had done well, but with only an hour of daylight left we stood at 114 
species. Just two short of the record! A quick look at our misses showed that 
we still had not found a Red-eyed Vireo. This problem had to be remedied 
immediately! We spent the next 20 minutes in T.O. Fuller State Park looking for 
the vireo, but with no luck. Arriving back at the pits we searched desperately 
through the shorebirds for the two more species we needed, but it was in vain 
as the light set on our day.

We did not go quietly however, as we plotted a stop on our way back to 
Nashville to try for Chucks and Whips. Around 11:30 pm we drove around the 
Cheatham WMA where both of these species are known to breed. However, our 
efforts proved to be simply madness as we ran out of time without even finding 
a Whip-poor-will which, as we noted in June, are very common in this area. The 
day ended with us still at 114 species. We can only contemplate our many misses 
such as Red-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow, Baltimore Oriole, Bald Eagle, Anhinga, 
White Ibis, Ring-necked Duck, Black-crowned Night-Heron, etc. and plan for next 
month. Ain't big days grand!

Good Birding,

Jay Desgrosellier
Nashville, TN


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