[TN-Bird] Re: The Rankin WMA Ruff and Buffy Report, 29-30 Aug 2011
- From: "Richard Knight" <rknight8@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:56:21 -0400
The number of Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Rankin (42), to my knowledge,
establishes a new high count for the state. The previous record was 25,
also
at Rankin 4 years ago.
Does anyone know of a higher count?
There is nothing higher mentioned in The Migrant or Robinson (1990).
As Scott noted, the Bonaparte's Gull sighting ties the second earliest fall
date in the state and is the new early date for East Tenn.
Four gull species at one site in one day in Aug in TN is remarkable.
Rick Knight
Johnson City, TN
> [Original Message]
> From: Scott Somershoe <Scott.Somershoe@xxxxxx>
> To: <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 8/31/2011 12:44:46 AM
> Subject: [TN-Bird] The Rankin WMA Ruff and Buffy Report, 29-30 Aug 2011
>
> I wanted to make some additions to other posts about the birds seen at
> Rankin WMA on 29-30 Aug 2011, including the Ruff.
>
> Highlights: 16 species of shorebirds (on Monday alone!) and 4 gulls
> species.
>
> 29 Aug 2011
> -While birding in early afternoon, Ed LeGrand and Kevin Burke (hope I
> got that right) later arrived. We formed a good birding team. Other
> folks arrived late in the day, incl. Chuck Estes.
> -16 species of shorebirds
> -2 different Peregrine Falcons flew by and scattered all the birds. An
> immature came through in early afternoon and took playful dives at the
> Great Egrets before landing and sitting on the mud. Late afternoon,
> while photographing the Ruff and other shorebirds, all the birds flew
> (even though I hadnâ??t moved a muscle) and 15 sec later an adult
> peregrine flew by about 15m away at eye level.
>
> -Buff-breasted Sandpipers, total 25 birds: Chuck Estes and I had a flock
> of 15 visible at once about 6:15pm (see photo in link below). About
> 7:15pm, I paddled the length of the mudflats from within scanning
> distance of the north end to opposite the Coal Tipple parking area in
> ~10 min. I did not flush any shorebirds, nor did any flush for other
> reasons, thus I was able to get a good count. I did not go all the way
> south to the shallows where the â??Poison Ivy Trailâ?? comes out of the
> woods.
>
> Highlights (copied and pasted from eBird):
> Little Blue Heron 1 (immature flyover)
> White Ibis 5 (immature came to roost)
> Peregrine Falcon 2 (one immature, one adult)
> American Golden-Plover 1
> Semipalmated Plover 12
> Killdeer 450 (large numbers came in late in the day, I think 450 is a
> low estimate)
> Spotted Sandpiper 18
> Lesser Yellowlegs 20
> Sanderling 3
> Semipalmated Sandpiper 110
> Western Sandpiper 10
> Least Sandpiper 70
> Baird's Sandpiper 1
> Pectoral Sandpiper 45
> Stilt Sandpiper 15
> *Buff-breasted Sandpiper 25
> Ruff 1 (The bird was actively foraging and nearly always with a small
> flock of lesser yellowlegs)
> Short-billed Dowitcher 1
> Wilson's Phalarope 1
> Laughing Gull 1
> Ring-billed Gull 140
> Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
> Eurasian Collared-Dove 1 flyby
>
>
>
> 30 Aug 2011
> Arrived late morning and birded with Ed Schneider and Jimmy Hurt. I
> spotted a Bonaparteâ??s Gull in the gull roost on the west side of the
> railroad bridge. The bird later landed on the northern point with the
> other gulls and the Ruff (making 4 species of gull today, which is
> excellent for August). The only earlier Bonaparteâ??s record I found is
> from 20 Aug 1978, Pace Point. There is a 30 Aug 1986 record, also from
> Pace Point.
>
> Buff-breasted Sandpiper galore!
> I was looking through a flock of about 90 shorebirds on one of the
> points north of the Poison Ivy Trail and realized it was nearly half
> Buff-breasted Sandpipers. My max count was 41. We had a single
> buff-breasted on the old railroad bed, for a total of at least 42
> individuals. Ed and Jimmy both saw 30-35 individuals at once.
>
> While walking the bank just north of the Poison Ivy Trail access, I saw
> a small bird drop off a dead snag. I assumed Green Heron, but it was a
> Least Bittern! It sat in the mud at the waterâ??s edge and foraged for
> 30+ minutes while we took photos. We left the bird standing there
> hunting.
>
> Least Bittern 1
> Semipalmated Plover 8
> Killdeer 75
> Spotted Sandpiper 8
> Lesser Yellowlegs 6
> Sanderling 4
> Semipalmated Sandpiper 60
> Western Sandpiper 2
> Least Sandpiper 10
> Pectoral Sandpiper 60
> Stilt Sandpiper 2
> *Buff-breasted Sandpiper 42
> Ruff 1 (She was found loafing among the gull roost without the
> company of other shorebirds. She spent a lot of the time standing
> around alone.)
> Bonaparte's Gull 1
> Laughing Gull 1
> Ring-billed Gull 100
> Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
>
> If interested, photos begin here:
> http://www.pbase.com/shoeman/image/137672715
>
> All photos (except the bittern) were taken from my kayak. I was able to
> slowly ease up to the birds and photograph them from 15m or so.
> I never
> flushed nor herded any shorebirds over several hourpaddle around slowly,
at close range, without disturbing the shorebirds.
>
>
> During a tour this morning of the Joachim Bible Refuge in Greene Co., I
> photographed a pair of cooperative Barn Owls, that also never flushed.
> I photographed a Traillâ??s Flycatcher, which was left unidentified
> because it was silent.
> http://www.pbase.com/shoeman/image/137673836
>
> Great Birding!
> Scott Somershoe
>
>
> State Ornithologist
> Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
> P.O. Box 40747
> Nashville, TN 37204
> 615-781-6653 (o)
> 615-781-6654 (fax)
>
> www.tnwatchablewildlife.org
> www.pbase.com/shoeman
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