[TN-Bird] Memphis Specialties plus Wind Birds

May 17-18, 2007
Memphis, Shelby Co, TN
 
I had out of town birders come in Thursday and had a birthday wish to fill  
on Friday. The wind howled Thursday shutting down some of the birds but we had  
up close and personal looks at Western Kingbirds hunting from eye  level 
perches at 30 feet both days and the Scissor-tailed female was on the  nest 
Friday 
with the attending male making deliveries. At Levee road on  Friday afternoon 
we saw 4 Western Kingbirds and an Eastern all in one view. An  adult Bald 
Eagle was a fly over at Ensley Bottoms.
 
A female Hooded Merganser with 6 youngsters in tow, plus young Wood Ducks,  
fuzzy Mallards and Canada goslings means the breeding season so far has  been 
good for most. On Thursday we had a small group of just female Bobolinks,  
"dinking" at Ensley, announcing the tail end of this specie's  migration. New 
for 
the season Least Terns were seen in four locations. 
 
A male Painted Bunting displayed in the middle of the road and from  various 
perches at 40 feet, for young Will Lunn's birthday wish bird on Friday  
afternoon. With scope views in the afternoon sun, I don't think you  could have 
gotten a better birthday show from Mother Nature.
 
Wind Birds over the two afternoon trips gave us super close looks  at  
Semipalmated Plovers, Killdeer, a stunning Black-bellied Plover  continually 
giving 
its plaintive call, looking for lost traveling companions.  Black-necked 
Stilts have settled on quite a few nests while a few others are  still picking 
partners. Yellowlegs were represented by a single Greater and a  good number of 
Lesser, while Solitary, Spotted and Pectoral Sandpipers have  gotten scarce in 
the last week. Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers are still  found in good 
numbers with the Semis and White-rumped Sandpipers on the  increase. 
 
The real treats were the breeding dressed, Dunlin and Stilt Sandpipers with  
one of the Stilts in exceptionally brilliant color. Just about jaw dropping  
rufous and red colorations on those two species and 4 Short-billed Dowitchers  
made for a fine spring parade of the 15 species of Wind Birds.  
Good Birding  !!!

Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that  lifts my heart to the heavens.




************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.


=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at http://www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                  EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________

Other related posts: