[TN-Bird] Lauderdale County

Nov. 23, 2008
Halls Airport, Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge
Chickasaw NWR,Mississippi River (Ashport to Keys point)
Anderson-Tully WMA, Lower Hatchie NWR
Lauderdale Co., TN
 
Sunday, I did what I started out to do last week, tour Lauderdale  County 
looking for changes in habitat. Due to the drawn out drought we are  losing 
many 
wet areas to the saw and plow. Two trips to Lauderdale Waterfowl  Refuge 
between walking some fields at the abandoned airport, revealed a lot of  ice on 
the 
ponds and fewer total numbers of waterfowl. Still, a good selection  to scan 
produced 17 species of waterfowl including; a lone Blue Goose among the  
Greater White-fronted, a single Black Duck, 2 female Canvasback and a pair of  
Redheads, among the expected species and add a Common Goldeneye off the  sewer 
lagoons at Halls for a total of 18 species. The day's waterfowl species  total 
would end at 21. The tree line there revealed 14 Red-tailed Hawks  plus 3 
Harriers (2 imm. 1 male) skimming the area and 2 Bald Eagles soaring (1  ad, 1 
imm.). 
 
At the old airport, walking the fields and ditchline turned up a  single FOS 
Short-eared Owl and also another 4 Red-tails and 2 Harriers. Pipits  and Laps 
were few and scattered in with the Horned Larks and as everywhere there  were 
good numbers of Meadowlarks in large congregations but Westerns (4) were  only 
found later off highway 19 along the river.
 
Along the roads through Chickasaw NWR to Chisholm Lake, I added  Red-breasted 
Merganser plus Ross's Geese in with a large flock of Snows.  Scattered flocks 
of Horned Larks and pits through out the run plus Meadowlarks  kept me busy 
scanning and Laps were found in good numbers at 4 locations. Large  numbers of 
gulls were feeding behind tractors plowing the fields but only  Ring-billed 
and a few Herring. The huge smoke stack of the new steam plant being  built in 
Arkansas at Osceola, dominates the skyline in many views, reminding  that we 
are losing the wildness even in the wildest feeling areas. In this area  of 
vast 
open farmland and forest you could feel at least some disconnect but no  
longer.
 
Late afternoon, found me at the Lower Hatchie NWR looking at distant ducks  
and geese but adding a few photos of Sandhill Cranes flying up and about as the 
 Snow and Ross's Geese changed feeding areas. I had Sandhills on Saturday in  
Tunica Co, Mississippi , nice to have them as winter residents in the area  
and popping up as treats in unexpected places. Two adult Bald Eagles,  Harriers 
and Red-tails were taking advantage of the concentration of food  sources. As 
an extra evening bonus, numbers of Cedar Waxwings were  flycatching insects 
from the tops of the trees, in company with Bluebirds and  Yellow-rumped 
Warblers, a nice ending to a Lauderdale Habitat Foray Day.
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6300 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
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