[TN-Bird] Rankin Bottoms Ruff and American Golden-Plover

From: "Chuck/Lola Estes" <chucklola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Chuck/Lola Estes'" <chucklola@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:05:51 -0400
Sunday 8/28/11
10:40 am to 3:30 pm
Rankin Bottoms, Cocke County

Lola and I birded with David Kirschke at Rankin Bottoms until he left around
12:30.  The area we observed from is the first gravel pull-off on the right
about 150 yards or so after you cross the railroad tracks and the Rankin
Bottoms WMA sign.  There is a slight trail that has been trampled-down
through the woods down to the shoreline.  There is a lot of poison ivy
present so be prepared.  We continued to watch the Ruff and other shorebirds
until a Peregrine Falcon dove in and scattered all the birds around 2:00.
We were not able to pull out a Buff-breasted or Baird's Sandpiper from the
group we had watched as the birds tended to stay on the far shore.  We then
drove out to near the end to observe the Lesser Black-backed and one
Laughing Gull mixed in with the Ring-billed Gulls on a sandbar.  On the way
out we stopped for one last look just past the tipple tower where the side
gravel road is flooded.  An American Golden-Plover flew in and gave us great
looks on the side gravel road near the water's edge.  David Whirley (sp) and
his wife from Bristol drove up in time for a viewing.  We never saw the Ruff
again.  We also saw a very unusual male Wood Duck in eclipse plumage with
two females.  Ron Hoff was kind to confer with me on that one.  Even in my
previous life as a duck hunter, I had never seen the eclipse plumage.

Great day.  Thanks again to Richard Knight for the initial Ruff spot.

Chuck Estes
Oak Ridge, TN


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[TN-Bird] Rankin Bottoms Ruff and American Golden-Plover

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