[TN-Bird] Whooping Cranes - Kyker Bottoms - Blount County - 10/22

Kyker Bottom TWRA Refuge - Blount County - Maryville, TN -  Saturday 10/22
 

It was 18 degrees when I left my home this morning to head to Kyker Bottoms,
I have not been able to bird much lately due to being busy at work and the
weather. For those not aware, Kyker is closed from November 1 thru February
15 each year to allow wintering waterfowl to have a safe place.

 

I intended to bird the areas around the observation decks, hoping for
sparrows, wrens and other grassland birds. Maybe a duck or other flyover.

 

I stopped at the maintenance building parking lot to check the ponds
visually, just out of curiosity. I witnessed a Great Egret flyover the
previous afternoon, but had already put my camera away (too dark)

 

To my surprise  I immediately saw 5 large white birds. Thinking at first
that they might be Egrets I kept looking (they were partially hidden by a
brush pile) and I was limited to not going past the parking area. 

 

It suddenly realized that these were not Egrets!  I scrambled to the car for
my Sibley's. They were Whooping Cranes, 5 of the great birds!

 

I first saw them at about 7:30 am. At that time they were moving very
little, eventually as the temperature warmed and the sun rose higher in the
sky they started feeding. I moved to the area at the unfinished observation
deck (oh how I wish it were finished today).  Eventually they moved out from
behind the brush pile. I took hundreds of photos, all the time wishing that
I could get closer or that I had more camera lens. The 100-400 was still a
bit short.

 

The Whooping Cranes were in the pond slightly to the right and in front of
the maintenance building (slightly to the left of the unfinished observation
deck).  At about 10:00 am they started "honking" and took flight, after
circling a bit they flew off to the west.

 

I apologize for this narrative but for me this was an exciting morning. I do
not know if Whooping Cranes in east Tennessee is a big deal or not, but for
me it was a first! 

 

I have added links to some photos and a link to my gallery with several more
Whooping Crane photos. The quality is not great but they are more than good
enough for clear identification.

 

I would love to know if the Whooping Crane's stop made at humble little
Kyker Bottoms is unusual or not.

 

Some Photos:

 

 <http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422403770_gKmw2-L.jpg>
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422403770_gKmw2-L.jpg

 

 <http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422400587_NvSed-L.jpg>
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422400587_NvSed-L.jpg

 

 <http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422403711_Cx28v-XL.jpg>
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422403711_Cx28v-XL.jpg

 

In Flight

 <http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422403711_Cx28v-XL.jpg>
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422403711_Cx28v-XL.jpg

 

 <http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422402666_FhsQb-L.jpg>
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/photos/422402666_FhsQb-L.jpg

 

My Whooping Crane Gallery

 <http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/Whooping%20Crane>
http://bhowdy.smugmug.com/Whooping%20Crane

 

 

Bob Howdeshell

Maryville, Tennessee



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