[TN-Bird] Weekend Ramble and surprise find.

June 27-28-29, 2003
McNairy, Shelby, Dyer and Lake Co. TN
Fulton Co. KY

I drove up to McNairy Co. late Friday, to fill in a few year bird blanks. The 
new bionic ears paid off with two Bachman's Sparrows and a bunch of Prairie 
Warblers along with some Pine Warblers. At dusk, I had a Whip briefly calling 
at Big Hill Pond and I was back home by 10 PM.

Saturday morning, a quick run through Ensley and down to North, Robco and Mud 
Lake produced few birds. The Black-necked Stills are hatching right and left 
at Ensley. A single Pectoral Sandpiper was the only new returning shorebird. A 
brief stop by the TVA Plant produced 2 Western Kingbirds but no activity at 
either nest which is puzzling as the female was setting eggs earlier in the 
week. Another Loggerhead Shrike juvenile was photographed at the waste 
treatment 
plant and the male Painted Bunting was singing his head off. At Robco Lake, 
there were no Ruddy Ducks to be seen and only a few DC Cormorants and Least 
Terns. At Mud Lake, the trees have grown to the point that they now block any 
view 
into the Cocklebur area. A few Least Terns were seen there and some Wood 
Ducks with young. North Lake had 3 American White Pelicans and the expected DC 
Cormorants and Least Terns. The Mississippi River is just clearing out of the 
area for the second time this year and to see much you have to do some walking.

Black-necked Stilts are spread over most of the area to our north. Found the 
birds in 3 new areas for me, a male and female were hiding in a little water 
hole off 79 Highway, 2 pair (one suspected nest) in the Tiger-tail area and a 
single male near Chic (female on nest maybe?). The good news is, the birds 
nesting off the Great River Road have hatched two broods of chicks. Between 
mile 
markers 18 and 19, one pair was chasing Great Egrets away from 4 freshly 
hatched young on Saturday at noon. Another pair had brought 2 chicks that 
looked to 
be about one week old into the same area on Sunday and the first pair had 
moved their small young away from the area where all the Egrets were feeding. 
The 
little ones would be just bite size for these birds. Mom and Dad put on a show 
driving the huge egrets away from the chicks. A little farther south in the 
same field, but in a dry area that already had been planted, another pair have 
a nest that they were protecting from a bunch of crows on Saturday. All seemed 
well Sunday morning as I watched them trade places at the nest. A 
Black-necked Stilt nest that I had been watching north of 103 Highway lost its 
battle 
with a tractor Saturday. These eggs appeared to be just a day from hatching. 
The 
pair was seen standing next to the nest Sunday morning and they could attempt 
another nesting nearby. 

In Fulton Co. KY, two broods were found at different locations plus I suspect 
there is a third nest. One nest I had been watching for two weeks but the 
other pair just showed up with very small young, both broods were only a day 
old, 
at the most. I never saw more than two chicks at either of the locations at 
any one time but distance and deep grass were the limiting factors. I only 
spent about 30 minutes with the scope at each location. It took over an hour to 
see all four of the small young off the Great River Road. I had another female 
show up (I checked the other four out and when I came back she was still taking 
her bath and preening) which would indicate there might be another nest 
somewhere. The Mississippi River will fall enough in the next few days for the 
gates to be open and the water will drain from the area in a matter of just a 
couple of more days. At Lake #9, I had one Semipalmated Plover drop into to a 
flat 
as a surprise new fall migration bird and spend about 15 minutes sleeping and 
preening before it headed south.

Late Saturday I walked back into an area where 3 states come together on the 
Mississippi River and got a line on what apparently is just a roost of herons 
and egrets plus thousands of Purple Martins. It will have to dry a little more 
before I can nail it down. This roost is showing up on Nexrad in the early 
morning and it saves a lot of time knowing where to look. I think it might be 
in 
Arkansas but there is a little strip of TN on the other side of the river. 
Now to locate a rookery which might be further north. Reelfoot Lake had no 
birds 
on it except the expected Great Blues and Great Egrets, an adult Bald Eagle, 
Least Terns, Mallards and the 4 Ruddy Ducks (3 males and a female).

At an emerging sandbar on the Mississippi off Hoe Cake Road in Lake Co, I saw 
a bunch of happy Least Terns plus a Black Tern. In Lauderdale Co, I found a 
Cooper's Hawk fledgling begging for food. 

By far the best find of the weekend was a dead bird that I found on a back 
road, south of Open Lake in Lauderdale Co. this (Sunday) afternoon. I'll write 
about it in a separate post. 

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


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