June 21-22, 2003 At Ensley Bottoms in Shelby Co, a little more time was spent looking for the Black-necked Stilt nests produced 31 nests with chicks at 3. Two pair were seen copulating so the influx of birds being pushed out by the plow to the north has started. I did locate the 3 young birds from the first very early nesting that I could not locate earlier in the week on a quick lunch break. They are flying and still with Mom and Dad. Farther north, in Dyer and Lake Counties, I found 3 nest had been plowed under but at least three that are still being tended. Two of these have a pretty good chance of surviving to hatch but maybe not. A good note is that one nest in Lake Co. has produced at least two young and they have been led from the area to a ditch line. In Fulton Co. KY both parents are tending to business and luckily this nest seems to be out of danger. I did not have a chance to work another male that I found but I suspect another nest. I got a photo of one nest in Dyer Co. plus photos of two other Black-necked Stilts on nests. Also at Ensley Saturday morning, I found 3 Least Sandpipers and a molting Western Sandpiper. These returning birds are right on time as I always get such on the 21-22 of June and the numbers build rather quickly thereafter. Other birds have shown up much earlier this year, so it might be interesting to hear about the success of the nesting in the Arctic this year. Two Pectoral Sandpipers off 103 Highway in Dyer Co. and a single Least Sandpiper off Tiptonville Landing Road made up the traveling shorebird list in that area. At the TVA plant, I was able to locate and photograph a Western Kingbird on one nest and I have a good idea where the other is located but found no vantage point to get a view. That one will have to wait until they start feeding the young. The attending male birds are not as easy to find as in previous years and are not hunting from the fences in front of the plant as much as usual. These two boys are going north to feed or at least for the time being. A check of President's Island did not produce the fledged young bird that I found earlier in the week. Early Sunday morning at Bogota Refuge in Dyer Co, I had Field, Grasshopper and Song Sparrows plus Dickcissel, all in view and singing possessive ditties at the same time. I did not find any Black-necked Stilts. Driving down 103 Highway, I saw the male Scissor-tailed Flycatcher fly into the old nest tree and then continue out into the corn field?? Evidently they are still around but 3 more trips to the area produced no female or another look at the male. This time they have gone into super hiding mode. Grasshopper Sparrows abound off 79 Highway. An adult Bald Eagle kept the Herons and Egrets in the air while I walked into White Lake Refuge. The only water is in the heavily vegetated main pool with all of the other flats drained and drying. There were lots of Mississippi Kites in the area plus 6 DC Cormorants and a good number of Black-crowned Night-Herons. Fourteen American White Pelicans were seining the water between the Great Egrets. On Reelfoot Lake, I saw no terns, not even Least but the 4 Ruddy Ducks still sleep away the day, only paddling to keep out of the way of the thinning crowd of fishing boats. A couple of Bald Eagles and a few DC Cormorants made up the rest of the list. Two singing Song Sparrows were seen at the Phillippy Unit of Black Bayou. I did not try for the Bell's Vireo. The river is still very high, after going back up four feet last week, and no sandbars were seen. The fall has started again and some bars will soon reappear but the Least Terns are already busy with trying to get some nesting done in the fields for the second time this year. One group of six nest that I found last week lost the battle with the plow on 79 Highway but one bird in a no-till field survived the planting and now has 3 inch Soybean plants as company. I took some photos of many fresh scrapes. Hopefully if the river drops fast enough, some Least Terns will get a third or in some instances, a fourth chance at raising some young this year in a much safer, sandy environment. There is much harvesting, of what winter wheat was left after the flooding and dark boiling clouds of smoke could be seen from all points in TN-ARK-MO as the wheat stubble is being burned. The farmers were hard hit this year and are hoping to get in some late beans. Many lost all the early corn they had planted and are going to be hard pressed to make any money crops this season. They are just like the nesting birds and can only persevere no matter what Mother Nature throws at them, maybe next year. Good Birding!!! Jeff R. Wilson OL' COOT / TLBA Bartlett Tenn. =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, simply send email to: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958 =========================================================