[TN-Bird] Memphis Shorebird Migration

May 18, 2004
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
Dee and Dave Worley, members of the famed Bristol Bird Club, gave me a call 
yesterday as they were passing through on their way to Texas. I met them at 4 
PM at Ensley and we had a nice evening of birding. One pair of Western 
Kingbirds was cooperative and with a little effort we had long, perfect eye 
level 
views of a Painted Bunting male at about 60 feet in bright sunlight. A Bald 
Eagle, 
Mississippi Kite and a Red-tailed Hawk filled our glasses, all in one field 
of view at one time.

The "Pits" gave us great looks at all the species Mike and I had on Monday 
except we did not see the Sanderling but a Sora played peek-a-boo with us for 
quite a while. We also bumped up the Black-necked Stilt nest count from 20 to 
25 
finding a remote bunch in an area we could not get to on Monday. 

We witnessed two melee's between groups of unpaired Black-necked Stilts, both 
males and females participate and the sound is amazing but the acrobatics as 
the males dance and jump up and try to push the other birds down into the 
water is a sight to behold. At one time there 9 stilts in one fight. The 
females 
run about and mostly just add to the sound as the males thrash about. This just 
lets you know the almost human intensity these birds go through just to pick 
mates. 

We watched two pair of BN Stilts go through the mating ritual down to the 
"kiss" and another inexperienced pair try unsuccessfully to mate but the female 
held her head too high and the male fell off 4 times until both gave up and 
walked away, No kiss that time.

The total numbers were way down but we experienced a wonderful migration as 
small groups of birds called and left flying low over us with a beautiful 
sunset illuminating them. We saw and heard the different calls of Semipalmated 
Sandpipers, breeding plumaged Dunlin and Short-billed Dowitchers, Stilt 
Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped and Least 
Sandpipers 
as they passed low over our heads, vaulting higher and higher; they will rest 
tomorrow somewhere much nearer the Canadian border and hopefully some other 
lucky birders will enjoy their presence.

We finished off the day standing in a parking lot watching displaying "Bull 
Bats." Dave and I both are old enough to remember that as the only name for 
Common Nighthawks when we were kids playing ball under the street lights. They 
would stair step mount higher and higher and then plunge toward the ground 
almost exactly like giant Horned Larks but unfortunately there was too much 
noise 
pollution to hear the roar from their feathers as they abruptly pulled out of 
the death defying dive just in the nick of time. Aaah! to live life on the 
edge.........

Another great afternoon as we watched Wind Birds heading north with the 
consolation that the first returnees will grace my glasses in just a little 
more 4 
weeks;o)


Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN


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