[TN-Bird] Three "B" and Upland at Pits

August 27, 2005
MS RV and Ensley
Shelby Co. TN
 
I started in the rain this AM at the river front, most of this week there  
has been very little on the sandbars and today was not much better. The Osprey  
that has been fishing there all week may be the problem. Other than the Least  
Terns, I saw only a flight of 7 Blue-winged Teal, Killdeer, 1 Spotted  
Sandpiper and 2 Sanderling.
 
At the pits, I met the Ferrells from Birmingham, now anybody that will  stand 
out in the rain to look at shorebirds is my kind of people;o)  The  storm had 
done its work and we had the pits all to ourselves with more  shorebirds than 
I've seen all year!
 
I first found 4 Buff-breasted and then a Baird's Sandpiper for the first  two 
"B" and later 4 breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plovers fell out of the gray  
skies calling their mournful calls and treated us to great looks before  
traveling south. I later pick out another Baird's Sandpiper traveling with  3 
Pectoral Sandpipers. The first Baird's, a molting adult, has been present  in 
the 
same location for over a week now. An Upland was calling from the pigweed  but 
it was just too muddy to try to kick it out for a good look.
 
There were Western Sandpipers in plumages ranging from full BASIC to  molted 
adults and knock out Juveniles. The varied colors and plumages on the  
Semipalmated would keep you entertained for some time, going from gray to  deep 
brown. Having fresh, brilliantly colored, immature Least and Pectoral  
Sandpipers 
standing side by side is something you can't get enough of no matter  how many 
times you are treated. A flight of 9 Lesser Yellowlegs and studies of 2  
immature and a single, slightly molted adult Stilt Sandpiper help bring the day 
 
total for Wind Birds to 15 species. After the rain ended the rest of the day 
was 
 perfect for enjoying the birds without the heat of the last weeks.
 
We had 3 flocks of Black Terns fly slowly by into the wind and at eye  level 
for a total of 71 birds. At dusk we had 100+ Great Egrets, 3 Little  Blues, 1 
Snowy and a small flock of Cattle Egrets heading to roost plus a  total of 19 
Nighthawks. 
 
Besides the morning Osprey we had numerous Red-shouldered Hawks, 1  
Broad-wing, Kestrels and a Cooper's. We had a pair of migrant Shoveler  Ducks 
in with 
the resident Mallards.
 
 
Good  Birding!!!

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

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