[TN-Bird] Shorebird Sweep

April 25, 2004
Ensley Bottoms, Shelby Co. 
Tipton and Lauderdale Co.
I ran the river early Sunday and had a single Common Tern doing its thing up 
and down off Mud Island. At Ensley the Bald Eagles still sit tight and with 
the leaves closing in I decided to take a photo from over a quater of a mile. 
The bird was checked 3 times over a few hours and never moved.

Where there were few Bobolinks Saturday, they rolled in flocks Sunday and I 
got a few portrait shots as they sang. In one plowed field, I found a few 
Golden-Plovers still in mostly basic plumage but the big surprise was a 
leucistic, 
all creamy white Red-winged Blackbird. After shooting her, I found another one 
at the other end of the leucistic range building a nest. The pure white bird 
was being harassed by everyone and the pale bird was chased by the Bobolinks. 
Blondes do attract them males. I'll let you know when I post shots of both 
beauties.

The Western Kingbird was still flycatching from a tree line south of the 
plant. Hope others soon join the bird for nesting duties. Painted Buntings have 
arrived with 2 singing males at the most reliable location. I found none on 
Presidents Island but spent little time there while searching through the doves.

The relentless rain of the last few days has soaked the spread fields and 
stopped the trucks from running at the lagoons. The southwest storms sweeping 
through Saturday night, swept most of the Lesser Yellowlegs away along with all 
of a few other species seen on Saturday morning but did drop in a basic 
plumaged Dunlin, a Willet and 2 Short-billed Dowitchers bringing the weekend 
total of 
Wind Bird species to 19 at the pits. The dowitchers were a great study of a 
dark plumage seldom seen over this way.

I just had to take one very distant photo of a Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary 
Sandpiper and Blue-winged Teal feeding in the edge of one lagoon with a 
Pileated 
Woodpecker not 2 feet away chopping on a fallen log. A rare combo shot any 
day.





Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN


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