Jamie Baker and I birded western Fulton County, particularly the Lower Hickman
Bottoms, yesterday. Surprisingly, songbird migrants were not too conspicuous,
but we concentrated on shorebirds. Highlight was the number of American
Golden-Plovers, a few of which have obtained their stunning alternate plumage.
Most were at and within a mile of Open Pond with the following totals:
Open Pond (460 on north ridge between low wet spots, 200 in and north of west
pool and an even more visually stunning tight group of 720 along north shore of
north pool and in adjacent field)
Wet spot north of KY 971 w. of Sassafrass Ridge (at least 250)
Ag field being actively tilled to the nnw. of this spot (at least 350)
West of Miller near Long Point (there were up to 84 there, but we left about 30
there after something frightened them)
Pool n. of Midway Ch. Road nw. of Midway Ch. (at least 30)
We also saw others in additional fields in the area, but those were earlier in
the day and it seemed that many were gathering in the main loafing area in the
afternoon (there were only 175-200 at Open pond in the morning) so the
conservative total was 2040, a new state high count [as far as I am aware].
Other highlights:
Semi Plover (1 to 2 at three spots)
Black-bellied Plover (3 early birds w. of Miller)
Black-necked Stilt (1 w. of Miller, 2 along KY 94 east of jct. KY 311 in edge
of Running Slough)
Greater Yellowlegs (scattered with at least 40 at Island No. 8 Slough)
Lesser Yellowlegs (several hundred; large aggregations at most stops)
Pectoral Sandpiper (several hundred; outnumbered by LEYEs at most spots)
Least Sandpiper (a few here and there but 42 at wet spot n. of 971)
Dunlin (at least 22 at Open Pond; a few at a couple other stops)
Long-billed Dowitcher (6 at Open Pond [called]; 4 w. of Miller that did not
call)
Wilson's Snipe (100-125 at Long Point)
Waterfowl were limited to the same four common dabbler migrants plus about
35-40 or so American Wigeon still at a couple of spots (including 25 at Island
No. 8 Slough). We had only Great Egrets with the Great Blues, and heard only
one Prothonotary and had a single Palm Warbler (i.e. hardly any summer
residents/migrant songbirds of note ... oh ... did have a single Grasshopper
Sparrow east of Hickman)
bpb, Louisville
================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBERS==============
When posting on BIRDKY, please close posts with
your first and last name and your address (city or county).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To post on BIRDKY, send e-mail to:
birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the KOS website at
http://www.birdky.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the KOS Photo Page to view photos of birds recently
sighted in Kentucky:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/kentucky_ornithological_society/pool
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To unsubscribe, send e-mail to:
birdky-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject line.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
BIRDKY List Manager: Gary Ritchison.
E-mail: gary.ritchison@xxxxxxx
