Returned to Henderson/Union counties last weekend with the following highlights: Camp Mines complex near Morganfield: suspicions finally became reality when a pan of the scope of one of the impoundments yielded a female Ruddy Duck with 4 young-uns! The cute little downy ducklings look just like mom; dabbling for duckweed and diving in shallow water. Also, finally saw a pair of Common Moorhens with 4 chicks working the shallows for duckweed and inverts. Also present were continuing familes of Gadwall (1), Blue-winged Teal (2), Wood Ducks (several) and Mallards (several). Young coots are now starting to band together on their own. Shorebirds were practically non-existent, although habitat is not too great there yet. A Least Bittern was flushed from vetch, Sericea, and fescue of an impoundment levee -- figure the bird was out catching grasshoppers ? ? ? Sauerheber Unit Sloughs WMA: Shorebird area and nearby slough on KY 268 yielded 8 spp of shorebirds: many Killdeer, 1 Gr Yellowlegs, 6-8 L Yellowlegs, 6-8 or 10 Solitary Sp; 1 Spotted Sp; 25+ Least Sp, 2 Pectoral Sp; and 1 S-b Dowitcher plus 10 Great Egrets and an imm Little Blue Heron. "Audubon" swamp at Henderson: an adult brought a fish in to the two large young still in this late nest. Most of the young Great Blues have fledged. bpb, Louisville brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ================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