[TN-Bird] Rankin Golden-Plover etc.

Rankin area, Cocke county, 9/16/06, 5-8:00 PM
Douglas Lake elevation: 978.8 - 978.6

We drove south along the old RR bed to the Gate Pond and watched the 
AMERICAN AVOCET, and about 50 lesser & greater yellowlegs, with Don Holt and 
friends, and Steve & Rebecca Satterfield.  We then launched our canoe from 
Birders' Point (reached by  the trail east from the coal tipple) and cruised 
along the riverbank shoal.  Among the usual  shorebirds, we saw a lone 
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 6 SANDERLINGS, a tight flock of 18 STILT SANDPIPERS, 
and a GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

We went around the point, under the RR trestle, to check out the Ten Islands 
side of Rankin peninsula. We saw about 40 KILLDEER & 20 LEAST SANDPIPERS in 
the fresh mudflats west of the trestle.  Fifteen WILD TURKEYS foraged below 
the trees, 30+ GREAT EGRETS & a few GREAT BLUE HERONS waded in the shallows 
toward the south.

Around sunset, the great egrets at Rankin Bottoms flew west, presumably to 
gather at  Ten Islands for the night.  This area can be observed from 
Brown's Hollow Rd.  the last left turn before crossing the RR into the 
Rankin WMA.  Mr. Wendell Wilde often accosts and questions strangers in the 
Brown's Hollow area, but tolerates birders.  The road is county-maintained 
and open to the public as far as the gate at the end.

Douglas Lake is lowering rapidly, and is predicted to be at 975' by Tuesday 
night, the 19th. The shoreline from Birders' Point to old trestle abutment 
should provide good looks across to the mudflats.

Michael Sledjeski & Leslie Gibbens
Cocke county TN


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