[TN-Bird] Nesting Reports - TN-AR plus

June 17-18, 2007
Shelby Co. TN
Crittenden Co. AR
 
On Saturday, I was able to confirm a pair of Bell's Vireo at Ensley,  having 
two birds in view at one time. I was also able to photograph the  singing male 
of the pair at Wapanocca NWR in Arkansas. Painted Bunting were also  heard at 
this location on Sunday.
 
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are feeding young at two locations inside the  
city limits in Memphis, one east of Ensley Bottoms and another small  colony in 
mid-town. Green Herons are everywhere this year and now even more  obvious 
trading back and forth feeding young.
 
With the sand bars on the Mississippi River finally sticking their heads  and 
toes out, Least Terns have set up house keeping with the males showing off  
their fishing prowess and offering their catches to fickle females.
 
Female and immature Painted Buntings were seen at Ensley and on President's  
Island over the weekend. On President's Island a male was observed feeding a  
single fledged young. The males usually do not go around the nest but take the 
 fledged young and feed them away from the female which may then try for a 
second  brood.
 
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nest on President's Island contains 4 robust  
young. All due to the hybrid female's hard work, now evidently a single Mom  as 
four visits this weekend did not turn up the male, which until last week  had 
been very attentive.
 
The on going saga of Western Kingbird nestings continues with two Western  
Kingbirds in north Memphis paired with hybrid females, while nests at two other 
 
locations represent normal pairings. Last week a second pair of  Western 
Kingbirds showed up at the TVA steam plant but have not selected a nest  site 
yet. 
The first pair on the McKellar side of the plant are hustling food for  
young. The late arriving pair is right on time as in previous years a pair 
shows  
up in that location always around the middle of June and is feeding young 
around  the 4th of July.
 
There has been a large number of nest failures of Black-necked Stilts this  
season at the pits with 8 nests producing no young, in most the eggs appeared 
to  have been abandoned. We get some predation but this does not appear to be 
the  reason for most of these failures. Repairing and mating was observed this  
weekend so maybe all is not lost as over 30 adults are still in the area, 
with  many setting eggs.
 
Killdeer have had a banner reproduction year, young of all ages and sitting  
adults fill the pits with their pacing and colorful displays.
 
On other notes rather than breeding; for the past two weeks a single Least  
Sandpiper has been located in the exact same spot at the pits. This bird will  
soon have company as the first returns from the breeding grounds will show up  
this coming week!! The lack of water holds the numbers of Herons and Egrets 
to  all time lows around here with only single Snowy and Little Blues seen over 
the  weekend.
 
The reluctant migrant awards go to 5 Lesser Scaup that are still hanging  out 
in a bachelor party on McKellar Lake, all seem to be healthy and can fly??  
After a few years absence, Ruddy Ducks are again summering on Robco Lake, for  
years the young males stayed over on this lake and  it was the only place  you 
could add the species on a summer Big Day list around here.
 
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.



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