[TN-Bird] Pickwick Dam Rocks

Feb. 23, 2003
Pickwick Dam
Savannah Bottoms
Bruton Branch

If you have some time soon, Pickwick is worth the trip.

Savannah Bottoms was flooded with many roads impassable. The water was poring 
over all the flood gates and gulls were everywhere. I met Steven Dinsmore 
from Mississippi working the area and he came back to tell me that there was 
a Red-throated Loon south of the state park area. From the dam we could count 
11 loons with one being very light and small. I was later able to see over 20 
Common and the single, adult Red-throated from the parking area. I visited 
the Bruton Branch are where I saw 9 more Common and a bonus immature Pacific 
Loon!

The were not too many ducks on the lake with only 8 species counted but one 
was a Black Scoter also seen out from Bruton Branch. There were a lot of 
Pied-billed Grebes in pods of up to 20 birds around the lake with about 20 
Horned Grebes spread thin.

After walking around some pines on the WEST side of the river, I located at 
least 3 Brown-headed Nuthatch. They can now be put on the West TN. list. 
Since we found them for the first time a few years back at the camp ground 
below the dam on the east side, I've always looked for them on the other side 
but until now with no success.

The real prizes were hidden in the gulls but you can go cross-eyed trying to 
scan them as they swirl about feeding below the dam. The numbers built all 
day and in the afternoon they covered the walls of the locks and started a 
large roost on the water above the dam.

Ring-billed Gulls make up 95+% of all the gulls feeding below the dam and 
resting above. The Bonaparte's don't have a chance down there and are staying 
far to the south. There are a lot of 1st year Herrings, showing all kinds of 
various coloration's and molts but there are only a few adults. There are 
probably 2 immature Thayer's Gulls now, as Steve had one above the dam and I 
had one below the dam about the same time. I got some distant shots of the 
one below the dam. It really showed its stuff as it fed in the boils.  There 
are 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls for sure as I had two 1st year birds at the 
same time. I got a couple of in-flight shots of one of these and then took 
some fine shots of a second year Lesser that fed for 15 minutes just in front 
of me.

I have been complaining that a few years back I would get an occasional 
Glaucous Gull at Pickwick but the last one I had was in 1996. Well, late this 
afternoon, I broke that string with a 1st year bird that came in and landed 
on the barge mooring above the dam. I was able to get some fair ID shots of 
the bird considering the distance.

Six species of Gulls and 3 species of loons is not too shabby. There is no 
telling what is in the mix at Pickwick if a lot of people got down there and 
searched. Because of the way they generate the power this dam does not 
compare to the others normally but when the water is rushing over the gates, 
it's Katy bar the door.

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


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