[TN-Bird] Ross's Geese Numbers - West TN/KY
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 09:07:07 EST
Feb. 5-6, 2005
Lauderdale, Dyer, Lake Co. TN
Fulton Co. KY
Saturday started in Tunica Co. Mississippi checking gulls but produced
nothing notable, the River has dropped 20 feet here so some birds have left
but
there is still a huge concentration at the dump. The Rough-legged still hunts
and was enjoyed by 3 of us birders at its regular location at Bowdre and
Hambrick Road. There is a large flock of Laps at this location and Sandhill
Cranes
use the fields on both sides of Hambrick.
A late afternoon visit to Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge Saturday, produced 19
species of waterfowl and I added only 2 more the rest of the weekend. Most
notable was the increase in Redheads from my last visit and the continued
presence of up to 4 Cackling Geese which can be extremely hard to locate as
they
stay in with the Mallards and Greater White-fronted Geese and get lost.
The numbers of Snow Geese are way down from my last visit north but I spent
extended periods with 3 flocks, one just south of Tiptonville, west of 79
Highway. This flock held 645+ Snows and Blues with a separate flock of 165+
Greater White-fronted. Here I found the highest percentage of Ross's in the
mix.
After multiple counts, I came up with 76 Ross's. The next flock studied was
north of the Phillippy Pits and there were 36 Ross's in this, much larger flock
of 3,500 geese. Just north of there in KY, off Midway Road in a flock of
460+ Snows, I counted 37 Ross's. Three flocks with 147 Ross's, and just a few
short years ago 1 was a real treat. Lots of photos of these sweet faced birds.
Rice cultivation has certainly changed the landscape and the birds along the
Mississippi.
I had 4 Western Meadowlarks south of the handicap hunting area at Black
Bayou, these birds were there in December and another 7 just north of the state
line in Kentucky. I also had 3 American Tree Sparrows on the road into the
handicap area near 78 Highway.
The gulls were using the area near the prison and not visible except when
they boiled up when disturbed. I photographed a pair of Bald Eagles at a nest
site that I had been watching since last fall when I first noted the nest.
Unfortunately the nest that the female sat so long on last year in Ensley
Bottoms has lost a cover limb and the birds evidently are not going to use it
this
year. One of their old nests has a brooding Great Horned Owl in it, so all is
not lost.
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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