[birdky] RPT: West KY June 17-18

From: Brainard.Palmer-Ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 13:05:12 -0400
Ken Brock, John Cassady and I visited various points in west KY this week.
Highlights follow:

June 17:

Sinclair Unit Peabody WMA: empty but complete Bell's Vireo nest and MANY
singing all around the area; two Northern Harriers; Henslow's and
Grasshopper sparrows were quite inconspicuous, but we saw both; a few Willow
Flycatchers. Plenty of the other usuals including many Blue Grosbeaks and
Dickcissels.

Paradise Ash Basin and associated impoundments: a 1st summer Franklin's Gull
(this is one of only a few June records; digiscoped -- JC); 40 Double-cr
Cormorants; Great Blues. The gull was gone the following day according to
Mark Vukovich.

Ky Dam: only a couple of Ring-billed Gulls; couldn't find the local
summering group of larids despite scanning all their usual haunts.

KY 453: the pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers remain faithful to the
immediate area of last year's nest, but they still do not seem to be
nesting. I could be wrong, but I don't think they have chosen a different
site as they still visit last year's site occasionally. The male was
harrassing a Red-tailed Hawk on a power pole, so they are territorial. I
began to wonder if they were waiting for the appearance of the cicadas that
they relied upon so heavily to feed their young last year . . . but they are
not going to come and the birds don't know it. Perhaps they will get their
act together before the nesting season has passed (I'm currently blaming the
female, as the male seems to be defending the territory and frequently
presents her with food when she visits the nest site :o) . . .).

Painted Bunting:  the male is still faithful to his territory and at least
one female Indigo Bunting.  He was a bit more dificult to find this time,
but an initial 10 minute wait was ended abruptly by him coming into song
right over our heads.  I thought I saw him carrying food one time, but am
not positive.

Lake No. 9: the local pair of adult eagles; several Great Egrets; 2 Least
Terns.

Open Pond area: recent heavy rains have replenished a few drying pools and
single Black-necked Stilts (both males, I think) were observed at Open Pond
and a pool about 3/4 mile east of there.  A few Least Terns were around, but
at least 5 pair were attending scrapes (no eggs yet) in a soybean field. I
hope they move on back to the river instead of trying there . . .  The male
stilt at this latter site appeared territorial, but I could not find a
female on a nest.  Back at Open Pond, the surprise of the day was an
alternate plumaged American Golden-Plover (again one of only a few June
records); also present was a Semipalmated Sandpiper.  Mississippi Kites were
seen in a few spots, but not many.

June 18:

Northern Land Between the Lakes: 13 spp breeding warblers (missed
Blue-winged and Cerulean in the light rain, but should have at least had the
former); plus many other regulars.

N Lake Barkley: 3 + 2 Caspian Terns (non-breeding summerers??).

bpb, Louisville
brainard.palmer-ball@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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[birdky] RPT: West KY June 17-18

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