[TN-Bird] Movements - North and South

Sept.24-25, 2005
Mississippi River
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
 
Saturday and Sunday there was a movement of DC Cormorants and ducks south  
but they had to fight a stiff Rita wind on Sunday. I had a total of 15 ADULT  
Herring Gulls over the weekend, that is a very unusual number of adults for 
over 
 here. I had 2 sitting on the Dacus bar on Saturday morning and they left 
heading  south. Later three of us stood on the levee at the pits and had 9 more 
fly right  over our heads. On Sunday in the rain I found 1 hiding behind a rock 
dike out of  the wind and late in the day 3 more I guess got tied of fighting 
the wind and  floated into view from the north and pulled out on the Dacus 
Bar.
 
Rita stopped some birds in their travels south but a total of  only 10 
shorebird species were seen. I did get some nice photos of a female  
Semipalmated 
with a lot of color and a very long bill. Killdeer, Semipalmated  Plover, 
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Western and Least  Sandpipers, 
Stilt 
Sandpipers, Pectoral and Buff Breasted made the list.
 
Rita blew through with bands of heavy rain but the only wind blown birds I  
saw was a group of 15-20 sterna terns at 8:20 Am on Sunday. They were speeding  
north in a heavy rain squall. A Ring-billed gull followed shortly and late in 
 the afternoon 5 Forster's Terns went north.  Coming south were, 1  
Broad-winged Hawk and groups of cormorants fighting the wind. I did have one  
small 
dark bird pass but no ID could be made.
 
The resident pair of Osprey did not seem to mind the blustery winds and  
hunted off and on all day. On Saturday there was a huge number of Rough-winged  
and Tree Swallows but most were gone on Sunday. There was one Tree with a  
sparkling white forehead. The big numbers were in Chimney Swifts which worked  
through the wind and rain and covered the river as far as you could see. Most  
were foraging just skimming the water and kept me busy all day checking their  
antics looking for some sneaky petrel of sorts.
 
There may be some residual birds passing on the river today and maybe for  
the next few days you might get lucky on the lakes in the area.  

Good  birding!!!!
 
Jeff R.  Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135

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