[TN-Bird] Reelfoot Area

Feb. 15-16, 2003
Reelfoot Area

Duck and geese numbers are teeming to say the least at Reelfoot. In the 
Fields north of Black Bayou, a tractor was rolling the rice even in the rain, 
sleet and snow on both days. The areas where this rolling had taken place was 
black with ducks in the early morning as a few photos I took show nearly no 
exposed ground just feathers. All four species of geese were easily located 
as flocks traded around.

Nancy Moore reported a light morph Rough-legged Hawk in Black Bayou on Friday 
and others saw the bird on Saturday and Sunday. It showed up usually later in 
the day to the south side of the road near 78 Highway. I missed the bird time 
and again but in the quest found 3 Krider's, 2 adult and 1 immature and best 
of all I was able to show quite a few birders the details on a light morph 
Harlan's which is a pretty rare bird around here.

The Purple Martin was a very unexpected treat along with 30 harriers going to 
roost as we stood in the rain Saturday evening. About half of these Harriers 
were males! The cold rain became so intense that we had to give up the vigil 
before any Short-eared Owls came up. I had seen two there a couple of weeks 
ago. 

Vesper Sparrows were seen along the levee and I photographed an adult 
Peregrine Falcon that spent both days just inside KY harassing all that dared 
to fly by. There are about 5 or 6 Western Meadowlarks using the area along 
the road to Gray's Camp near 78 Highway but I located a group of at least 16, 
south of State Line Road on the road running north from Phillippy. Another up 
close, single bird near the Ibis Hole gave another group good looks at the 
tail pattern and other details.

I must have looked at 5000+ Ring-billed Gulls feeding out in the fields and 
on the river but came up with nothing other than a few Bonaparte's and a 
single Herring. The wind on the lake made for fruitless scanning but there 
were 2 groups of Common Goldeneye (9 and 14) in Champy's Pocket plus a few 
Pied-billed and Horned Grebes. Ruddy, Greater and Lesser Scaup made the bulk 
of the sighting on the lake. I did end up with 20 species of waterfowl and 
again missed Redheads.

I had one fly over Lesser Yellowlegs and saw another in the rice fields 
later. Wilson's Snipe flitted about in and out of the stubble. Killdeer are 
already in Breeding Mode with multiple males escorting single and I might say 
very attractive females. They play a game of you move, I move, then he moves, 
then she moves and then we all move. It looks like a slow but highly 
choreographed waltz. Pairs of Horned Larks are already picking out 
territories and nesting will began early next month.

Good Birding!!!

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


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