[TN-Bird] Stormy Skies over the Mississippi River

Oct. 23, 2005
Mississippi River at Mud Island,
Ensley Bottoms
Shelby Co. TN
 
It was a good gray sky morning but few birds were flying, most were just  
floating down the river. The following were seen from 7:30 till 8:30 from  Mud 
Island. DC Cormorant - 7, Pied-billed Grebe - 10, American Coot - 8  flotillas 
of 541 birds, Gadwall - 20, Pintail -1, Green-winged Teal  - 3, Lesser Scaup 
-3, Ring-necked Duck -1, Shoveler -15, Mallard -3,  Killdeer -1, American Crow 
-2, and Red-tailed Hawk -2. In the late  afternoon I had 12 more Red-tailed 
Hawks, plus 1 Harrier, 1 adult Bald  Eagle and 2 flights of DC Cormorants of 
152 
birds.
 
At the pits, The Least Sandpiper numbers were down but there were 3  
Kestrels, new comers, pestering the birds almost continually. Other Wind Birds  
seen 
were; 2 Greater Yellowlegs (all the calling yesterday by the single paid  off), 
4 Lesser Yellowlegs, 11 Wilson's Snipe, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers and 2  Western 
Sandpipers one long-billed female and one short-billed male. The duck  species 
have stayed the same but increased in numbers along with the American  Coots.
 
When the skies started bleeding birds about 10:30, the following were  
counted over the next 3 and a half hours: The premier bird of the day was the  
single Pomarine Jaeger, number 307 for Ensley Bottoms and 317 for Shelby Co.  
Again 
good numbers of American White Pelicans with 3263 counted in 28 flights,  841 
Double-crested Cormorants in 16 flights, 1 Blue Snow Goose, numerous flights  
of ducks mostly Shoveler and Gadwall, 4 traveling Great Egrets, small birds 
were  passing overhead almost continually for over 3 hours, Osprey-1, Bald 
Eagle - 1  immature, Northern Harrier -9, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's 2 each, 
Red-tailed  Hawk -24 including one dark morph and a Krider's, Merlin -1, 
Kestrel - 
8,  Ring-billed Gulls -6 and a single Turkey Vulture.
 
Love them gray days................
 
 
Good Birding  !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6298 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN  38135


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