[TN-Bird] Reelfoot Lake Region

The finding of a possible state record for a Gull-billed Tern by Mike Todd near 
Highway 103 and Great River Road in Dyer County and Jeff Wilson seeing three 
Wimbrells land just north of 103 are the latest finds in our Reelfoot Lake 
region for the last two weeks.
Thursday, May 20, Fred Alsop's TWRA group found a Wimbrell at White Lake along 
with Black-bellied Plover and a Wilson's Phalarope. 

The same day Glen Criswell and I  had a Ruddy Turnstone, female Greater Scaup, 
14 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 1 White-rumped Sandpiper along with Pectorals and 
both Yellowlegs at Highway 103 and Great River Road. Earlier this week we had 
Long-billed and Short-billed Dowitchers, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers there.

As posted previously we found a White-faced Ibis on Highway 103 just .7 east of 
Great River Road that was seen by a number of birders from May 9 until May 12.

Nancy Moore found the Bell's Vireo in Black Bayou on May 6. A number of birders 
have seen it since then. This is the same location that this species  had a 
nest in 2003. It was first discovered there in August of 2002.   A Hooded 
Merganser raised 7 young in Black Bayou during May.  A couple of immature Bald 
Eagles have been seen frequently in here (Black Bayou) during the last few 
months but no sign of any nesting yet.

On the 16th of May Betty and I had 56 Dunlins in a field near Owlhoot.  During 
the same week Glen and I had a number of small groups of Dunlin around White 
Lake.

From May 9 through May 11 we found a number of groups of Semipalmated 
Sandpipers in the Highway 103 and White Lake area.  They ranged from 35 to 23 
individuals.

Just north of the Tennessee line in Kentucky the Bald Eagle nest on the levee 
next to Lake Number 9 is active with possibly three young.  Lake Number 9 has 
been very flooded all spring; much more so than in the past and up to now very 
few species have been seen there.  With this much water now it may provide a 
good shorebirding habitat in the fall.

A few pairs of Black-necked Stilts can be seen around White Lake, on Highway 
79W and in a few other locations but because of the water level being much 
lower than last year this specie does not have the habitat it did for nesting 
last year.  

Each spring, as I bird this area, it hurts to see the land that has been 
cleared during the winter months and the increased drainage facilities that 
have been created by the farmers.  It seems like there was more area cleared 
and ditches dug this last winter than in any year in the past.  The individual 
farmers seem not to understand what the destruction of the fence rows and trees 
is doing to the soil and the environment.

Ken Leggett
Dyersburg, TN           






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