[birdky] RPT -- More on Bourbon Co. STFlycat
- From: Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- To: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003 22:21:32 -0400
Richard Cassell, Amy and I had not left the Blue Licks area when we got a
call about the Eklund's STFlycat in Bourbon Co. so we detoured that way
about 4:00 p.m. We reached the appointed spot but no flycatcher was to be
found in the hour or so we looked around. We DID encounter at least three
Bobolinks, a Grasshopper Sparrow, a Horned Lark and a flyover Am Pipit.
What we DID encounter, however, was a local horseman, Steve Watkins, who
drove up in his pickup while we were standing along the road scanning with
binocs. He stopped and said "are you looking for him?" I said "who's
'him'?" and Mr. Watkins answered "the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher"! I replied
"were you here when some birdwatchers found it earlier?" and he replied, "no
. . . it's been here for about a week . . . and it's had a nest in that big
sycamore tree over there for THREE years in a row now!!!" You can imagine
our surprise, and a more involved conversation then ensued, and we found out
from him that a pair of Scissor-tails has been there for three years, this
now becoming the fourth year one has returned. They raised three young
three years ago, he thought the nest was unsuccessful two years ago, but
thought it again successful last year. Apparently, all of the local
residents know about them. He had seen the bird sometime withint the week,
yesterday and just this morning. You just have to wonder what's really out
there we never know about!!
So after talking to Mr. Watkins, we hung around for even longer, but never
saw the bird. The sycamore nest tree is within about a tenth of a mile or
two of where the Eklunds' photo'd the bird today. It is probably 0.75 or so
mile north of KY 537 on Stringtown Road as previously described by Neil and
Ginny. You can't miss the tree as it hangs out over the road and is all by
itself. The habitat looks great; we just couldn't happen to run into it
this afternoon. About the only place that was a decent pull off was on the
west side of the road, about 0.1-0.2 mile SOUTH of the sycamore tree, just
south of the crown of the hill there. Traffic tools right along at a good
pace there, but everyone seemed friendly. If you go to the site, you might
do your best to pull out of the way.
Earlier in the afternoon, we visited the Clay WMA in eastern Nicholas County
and most of our highlights were butterflies and moths that included a
mudpuddle group of about 50 swallowtails of FIVE species at the Licking
River boat ramp (2 Zebras, 3 Blacks, 3-4+ Pipevines, about 10 Tigers, and
the rest Spicebush!) WHAT A SIGHT!!!
bpb, Louisville
brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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