[TN-Bird] MS RV and Ensley Bottoms - Memphis

August 22, 2009
Mississippi River -Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
Mississippi River - AM
The morning trip help a nice surprise to start the day. A few Least Terns  
and Killdeer spread around but Dacus Bar produced 3 Semipalmated Plovers and 
a  pale rider, PIPING PLOVER. If you want to see Piping in TN get to the  
Mississippi River between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15 and wait. I've had as high as 
six  at one time on Island 13.
 
Mississippi River - PM
The afternoon produced more Least Terns and a few peeps but also sitting in 
 a row were a season's first, Ring-billed Gull plus 2 Forster's Terns and a 
 Caspian Tern. A distant shot caught all three species resting.
 
Ensley Bottoms
A few Least Terns at TVA Lake plus a hunting Osprey with DC Cormorants and  
Mallards were around on most of my stops, along with multiple immature 
Green  Herons and a pair of dueling male Kingfishers. The "Pits" held fewer 
birds but a  nice study for up close Least, Semipalmated and Western 
Sandpipers. 
The immature  Wind Birds were stunning in numbers and beauty. Lots of study 
photos plus closer  photos of the partial albino Least Sandpiper. The 
Pectoral Sandpipers, so  numerous earlier in the week, were paired down to just 
that a PAIR. The adult  Baird's likes the company and was still present but I 
did not find the Stilt  Sandpiper. Among the Black-necked Stilts, I found a 
single Lesser  Yellowlegs. Wish we had some water..............
 
The young Black-bellied Whistling Duck still is a "pit" boss, bullying  
Blue-winged Teal and now even the Mallards that were the bullies last week. A  
first of season and heavily molted Shoveler is now keeping company with our  
resident American Coot. A single non-breeding plumaged Black Tern made a 
brief  appearance. The pair of immature Red-tails and a young Cooper's are 
still  keeping everyone alert. All the expected swallows, including Purple  
Martin could be gleaned from the hunting hordes over the fields and even  
higher, hundreds of Chimney Swifts swiftly swept up bugs with evident  
glee............. 
 
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6300 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that  lifts my heart to the heavens.


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