Rankin Bottoms, the bird haven of Cocke County, was visited by members and guest of KTOS on Sunday Sept.2. The group was lead by Mike Nelson. It was a grand morning with sun, then overcast skies making the lighting much better for viewing the tons of birds on the mud flats.Among the group we had Dennis McCorkle, Tom Mariah, Kevin Burke, Merikay Waldvogel, Jerry Ledbetter, Janet McKnight Elizabeth (Beth) Schilling Colin Leonard, Chris Welsh and Billie Cantwell. We walked, some kayaked and we all learned something. There were plenty of scopes so everyone got to see and study the birds.
Great egrets and great blues everywhere you looked with green herons and an immature little blue!Sandpipers were running then flying when a merlin forced them up and over to another spot even closer to us. A kettle of vultures gave us a show. Up and down our heads were bobbing just to keep up with the action of all the birds.
Here is a list of birds that you missed, but never fear you can go when you like to see the fall show.
Canada goose Pied-billed Grebe Double-created Cormorant Great Blue Heron Great Egret Little Blue Heron Green Heron Black Vulture Semipalated Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Sanderling Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Buff-breasted sandpiper Ring-billed Gull Forster's Tern Mourning Dove Belted Kingfisher Red bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Merlin White-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Tree Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Canada Warbler Billie Cantwell Knoxville, TN
