body{font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,sans-serif;background-color:#f= fffff;color:black;}p{margin:0px;} Eddie Huber and I had 20 species of shorebirds on Monday and 18 yeste= rday in northern McLean and northwestern Hopkins counties. Two-day high cou= nts from the large flock at the KY 85 crossing of Cypress Creek west of But= tonsberry follow: Black-bellied Plover =E2=80=93 at least 40 both da= ys American Golden-Plover =E2=80=93 1 both days Semipalmated Plover = =E2=80=93 750+ on 23rd; 800-1000 on 24th (very difficult to count; estimate= d thru extrapolation) Killdeer =E2=80=93 10+ both days Black-necked S= tilt =E2=80=93 2 on 24th Greater Yellowlegs =E2=80=93 1 flyover on 23rdLesser Yellowlegs =E2=80=93 20+on 23rd; 25+ on 24th Ruddy Turnstone = =E2=80=93 6 and 8 Sanderling =E2=80=93 3 and 10+ Semipalmated Sandpip= er =E2=80=93 2000-2500 and 2400-2600 (estimated thru extrapolation) Leas= t Sandpiper =E2=80=93 30+ and 25+ (probably more, but these confirmed by si= ght) White-rumped Sandpiper =E2=80=93 50+ both days (probably more, thes= e again confirmed by sight) Pectoral Sandpiper =E2=80=93 20+ and 12+ = Dunlin =E2=80=93 700+ and 800+ (this was the species I used for basis of es= timates of Semi Plovers and Semi Sands; was able to roughly count the Dunli= n because they stood out more, although I don=E2=80=99t doubt there were pr= obably more than 1000 present) Stilt Sandpiper =E2=80=93 at least 20 bot= h days Buff-breasted Sandpiper =E2=80=93 1 on 23rd; super-surprisingly T= WO on 24th(first confirmed KY spring record) Short-billed Dowitcher =E2= =80=93 1 bird seen in same spot both days; heard calling on 24th Red-nec= ked Phalarope =E2=80=93 1 female both days Relatively few shorebirds= were found at other spots on Monday, but we did see a Solitary Sandpiper a= nd 10+ Spotted Sandpipers for 19 species; the 20th was a totally random Upl= and Sandpiper that landed briefly on some mudflats along KY 281 in Hopkins = County. We missed Black-necked Stilt on Monday, but on Tuesday we found 13 = along KY 81 south of Rumsey with 12 birds paired. They are wanting to initi= ate nesting, but the daily change inwater level is likely causing them to = hold off. The =E2=80=9Cmega-flock=E2=80=9D of birds was unlike anyth= ing I have ever seen in Kentucky. We suspect the birds had been building fo= r several days. When we visited the site last Friday, we might have come ac= ross the initialstages of the convention if we had approached from the eas= t, but from the Cypress Creek bridge all we could see was water. This group= was like an entire community with flocks trading back and forth between th= e main loafing area on the north side of KY 85 to favored feeding areas on = the south side of the road. While the birds were feeding on Monday morning,= there was a constant din of bickering with singing Dunlins audible several= times each minute. On both Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon, Black-bel= lied Plovers were also singing. Previously, I have only heard such a shoreb= ird concert at Barrow and Gambell, Alaska. During Tuesday mid-day, a vast m= ajority of birds were full and loafing; that is when I was able to count a = bare minimum of 4200 birds by 10s. We returned later in the afternoon and a= bout =C2=BD to 3/4ths of the birds were back out feeding again. It was abou= t 500 pm when the Peregrine arrived and within five minutes, you couldn=E2= =80=99t find a single bird on the flats except for the most obvious two sho= rebirds in the area, the pair of Black-necked Stilts. The Peregrine was eit= her unlucky or incompetent, and it took FAR too long to secure a meal, ling= ering in the area for well over an hour. Those who have watched Peregrines = on the prowl are no stranger to spine tingling chases and acrobatics. This = bird gave us quite a show as it singled out one small bird, probably a Semi= Sand, and gave a spiral chase high up into the air. When the Semi finally = decided to attempt to go back down, the falcon took several vertical dives = at it. I=E2=80=99m incapable of describing in how stunningly dramatic fashi= on the pursuit unfolded, but Eddie and Jamie Baker were there to also witne= ss one of the most remarkable dramas one can experience in the wild. Shorebirds have not been the only waterbirds of interest in the area. Both= days we saw Black Terns and a single Forster=E2=80=99s Tern. Waders showed= up in numbers this week with up to at least 50 Little Blue Herons, 4 Snowy= Egrets, 12 Great Egrets, and a Black-crowned Night-Heron; also many Cattle= Egrets continue. Yesterday afternoon I heard a Least Tern calling right as= the Peregrine arrived on the scene, but I never saw it. There was also a C= ommon Gallinule in the company of an American Coot on the south side of the= highway working a grassy edge. Small numbers of Northern Shovelers and Blu= e-winged Teal were also scattered about. I told Eddie on our way hom= e last night that the =E2=80=9CKY 85 west of Buttonsberry=E2=80=9D spot (ju= st have to call it that!) might never again hold shorebirds in any numbers.= The exceptional conditions this past month may have produced a once in a l= ifetime opportunity there. We noted that hadMelissa Gaither not reported t= he Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks we would never have even visited the area!= bpb ================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBERS============== The BIRDKY Mailing List requires you to sign your messages with first & last name, city, & state abbreviation. -------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, send e-mail to: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx -------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: birdky-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject line. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Kentucky Ornithological Society web site at http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos.htm * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BIRDKY List Manager: Gary Ritchison, Richmond, KY E-mail: gary.ritchison@xxxxxxx