[TN-Bird] Migration delivers the Goods

Oct. 18, 2003
Ensley Bottoms,
Dacus Bar and Eagle Lake
Shelby Co. TN

Saturday morning, the fog on the Mississippi River was so thick I could not 
see the tree line on the other side of the river. Even then an occasional ghost 
like gull could be seen flying close to the water and heading south. I worked 
my way south and on Riverport Road found a large group of 78 Gadwall and 
later 122 Shoveler along with the regular cast of dabblers. I searched for any 
dark duck but found none. On McKellar Lake, I counted 26 Ring-billed Gulls 
along 
with 100+ DC Cormorants.

The pits were pretty well socked in so I retraced my steps and tried a few 
spots finding a lot of Indigo Buntings but the sparrows would come later in the 
day. Finally at 10:30, I made my way back to the pits to find a few thousand 
Least Sandpipers, a sprinkling of Killdeer, 48 Lesser Yellowlegs, 27 Stilt 
Sandpipers, 2 LB Dowitchers, 1 Pectoral, 2 Western Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin and 6 
Wilson's Snipe. The best find was 2 Virginia Rails in a territorial scuffle. 
Two 
more special wind bird species were waiting on the sandbars in the Mississippi 
for a total of 11 shorebird species for the day.

I started following the gaze of the shorebirds and had a Sharp-shinned, 2 
Harrier and a few Red-tailed Hawks called to my attention, all high and going 
south. There was a little too much mud so I headed back to see what was 
traveling 
down the river at Mud Island. The next 3 hours sitting and scanning produced 
some fine birds and numbers. I picked up 2 Black-bellied Plovers on the far 
sandbar and soon saw 3 large and 2 small shorebirds skimming the water and they 
turned and set down on the tip of the closest bar. This group produced 3 Red 
Knots, my latest sighting by 2 weeks and the two small birds trying to keep up 
with them were a pair of Least Sandpipers. 

Nine Ring-billed Gulls flew past during the vigil, along with small groups of 
DC Cormorants speeding south. The biggest movement of the day was the 2033 
American White Pelicans that swirled past in 6 different flights over the time 
period. No telling how many passed undetected in the bright blue sky. Only 1 
Chimney Swift was seen cleaving the blue, hurriedly filling its tank; there 
were 
thousands just a couple of weeks ago.  Scattered groups of Tree Swallows fed 
south with a few Barn and a single Rough-winged in tow.

There was almost never a scan of the horizon that did not produce a new 
traveler, with the raptor totals for the period as follows; Sharp-shinned - 2, 
Cooper's - 2, Broad-winged-1, Red-shouldered - 3, Red-tailed - 12 and as usual 
the 
day after a front passes, 6 Harrier loped high over the river. The high 
Harrier always heightens your attention because of their flight, shape and long 
wings but the long tail gives them away as they close the distance.

In the afternoon, I visited the grassy fields at Eagle Lake Refuge and spent 
almost 2 hours in slow stalk mode. The fields and their brushy edges paid off 
with 5 species of Wrens, with my first (2), cock-tailed Winter Wrens for the 
season. In the vast seedy fields, I found 4 Bobolink and 8 species of sparrows 
among the hordes of Indigo Buntings. The best of the sparrows were 2 colorful, 
Nelson's Sharp-tailed that popped up in the bright evening sun and swung 
briefly on one of their favorite stalks of seed, Barnyard Grass. Slow mode with 
long stops is the best way to work these birds. The habitat is prime for this 
species along with the many Field, Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp, 
White-throated and another first of season species, adult and immature 
White-crowned 
Sparrows. Try as I might, I found no LeConte's in the few patches of Spangle 
and 
Panicum Grass but they can't be far behind.

In the tree lines, I added; Tennessee, Orange-crowned (2 within 8 feet), 
Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Common Yellowthroat and 
Ovenbird. 
The Giant Ragweed produced Rose-breasted Grosbeaks galore, with their beaks 
stained red from the ripening seeds of this bane of hay-fever afflicted. It 
makes for a great food source for all kinds of birds as the seeds provides more 
crude protein than even sunflower seeds and insects abound.

The wintering birds are fast increasing and the migrants passing through are 
slowly decreasing; niches are filled and vacated in the time and order 
dictated.

Good Birding!!!

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


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