[birdky] RPT: KENTUCKY CRANETOWN LIVES AGAIN!!! --- long but worth it :o)

From: Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxx
To: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 18:06:43 -0400
If any of you are like me and have perused the ornithological literature of
Kentucky fairly extensively, you are probably aware that years ago a portion
of Reelfoot Lake's nesting waders used a site referred to as "Little
Crantown" or "Kentucky Cranetown" [as opposed to "Cranetown," which was the
main site on the lake several miles south of Kentucky in Tennessee].  Robert
Mengel's Birds of Kentucky makes reference to the population of birds at
Kentucky Cranetown and a couple of older articles talk about it in detail.
As of 1949 when Mengel visited the site, Kentucky Cranetown harbored about
150 pairs of Great Blue Herons, 200 pairs of Great Egrets, 50 pairs of
Double-crested Cormorants, and 25 pairs of Anhingas.  Subsequent to the
early 1950s, this colony site was not visited much, but in 1963 there were
about 1000 wader nests (most or all either Great Blues and Great Egrets).
Unfortunately, this site was subsequently abandoned during the DDT era of
reduced numbers of wading birds in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  

I had always wondered exactly where this site was located and a few years
ago, I found an aerial photograph of the Reelfoot area in a set of photos
here at work that date to, of all times, summer 1950.  Aerial photos taken
back then were VERY good in quality, and you can actually see whitewashed
areas in the trees surrounding one open area of water . . . ahah,
photographic evidence of Kentucky Cranetown!

After I found that photo, I waded out into the waters of that arm of
Reelfoot Lake one year to see if there were any nests (I had seen Great
Blues trading back and forth and was convinced that it had become
reestablished at that time).  However, I saw and heard nothing. Also, since
noting the location on the photo, whenever we've had the chance while doing
occasional flying for state government surveys, we've been sure to make a
pass by this site in hopes of finding some birds using it again. In 1999, we
flew over the site and actually saw a bunch of used nests in the trees, but
apparently from the previous year or two as they were empty and without
evidence of that year's use. And since that time, nothing again every year
until . . .

Yesterday I was up with Beth Ciuzio, Pat Brandon (both with Ky Fish and
Wildlife) and our pilot, Jim Drake. We were running a bit behind schedule,
but we had put Long Point on our checklist of sites to check so we swung by.
As we approached from the west, I was describing to Jim where we needed to
head and with surprise and excitement was able to say "over there, where all
those white birds are perched in the trees!!!"  WOW!  What a site to see in
Kentucky again . . . probably at least 115 pairs of Great Egrets and 35-40
or more pairs of Great Blues, all adorning the sea of bright green cypress
trees like ornaments. Kentucky Cranetown lives again, right where it was in
the late 1940s!

This area is accessible only by wading/swimming or canoe (the latter
probably with much difficulty even though it may seem preferred), but I
believe that trading birds could be seen by standing on the Long Point tower
and looking east-southeast over the woods.  What might be of greatest
interest would be the possibility of seeing an Anhinga from the tower by
watching for trading birds.  Light in the morning, when a departing Anhinga
might be most likely to soar up, wouldn't be good, but might be worth a try.
I scanned for species other than Great Blues and Great Egrets yesterday, but
we saw nothing.

HOWEVER, about twenty minutes later we were checking another heronry along
Bayou de Chien east-northeast of Hickman. This site has been present since
at least 2000 and as of 2002 had about 50 pairs of Great Egrets with lesser
numbers of Great Blues.  That site was abandoned as of yesterday, except for
one Great Egret standing in the top of one of the cypress trees, and of all
things . . . a female ANHINGA!  The Anhinga flew in from somewhere (possibly
frightened from one of the nests but I am unsure), landing low in some trees
near the nest trees. It perched there for one circuit of our helicopter, but
was frightened on our next pass and fluttered down into the water and dove.
This site is quite inaccessible by land and I don't believe it would be
nesting there, but I'll be trying to figure out how to go check on it in the
near future (it is near the confluence of Bayou de Chien and Little Bayou de
Chien (DeLorme p. 75, block G-8). The presence of an Anhinga there would
seem to increase the chances that nesting may be occurring at Kentucky
Cranetown. So if you are down in the vicinity of Long Point, keep your eyes
open!

bpb, Louisville
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[birdky] RPT: KENTUCKY CRANETOWN LIVES AGAIN!!! --- long but worth it :o)

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