[birdky] Whooping Cranes + Others in Warren County 19 November 2003
- From: David Roemer <dlroemer@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: bird ky <birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:51:54 -0800 (PST)
A pair of Whooping Cranes was present with 10 Sandhill
Cranes at approximately 12:30 cst over Walton's Pond
in southern Warren County today. They were seen
thermal soaring at an altitude of several thousand
feet, and then drifting off to the south. I was able
to obtain about 15 seconds of video before they
drifted in front of the sun.
Talk about being in the right place at the right time.
I had stopped to check the waterfowl at the pond, and
was enjoying through-the-scope looks at 3 Ross's Geese
which were in the company of 8 Snows and several
Canadas. The geese all cocked their heads and looked
up, and I looked to see what they had spotted. They
usually give away a high flying raptor when they do
this. I then saw the cranes thermalling at an
extremely high altitude. The brilliant white plumage
of the Whoopings with contrasting black wingtips
against the crisp blue sky was absolutely breathtaking
as they turned in lazy circles on motionless wings.
They were only there a couple of minutes, and I
happened to be there at that time, and the geese gave
them away, WOW!
An interesting side note: Although the Whooping
Cranes were soaring in the same thermal as the
Sandhills, they stayed separated from the flock by
some distance. The Sandhills circled in a rather
tight flock, but the Whoopings stayed together in
their own formation. They also lagged behind when the
flock stopped thermalling and drifted to the south.
The Ross's Geese (photographed) represent a new early
fall date for Kentucky. A pair of Greater Yellowlegs
was also present at Walton's.
Four Greater White-fronted Geese were accompanying the
local honker flock at a pond near my home in Warren
County along Drakes Creek.
At least 2 Lapland Longspurs were present with a mixed
flock of pipits and larks in the field which holds
McElroy Lake (dry).
I checked the gull roost at Barren Reservoir this
evening. A few hundred each Ring-billed and
Bonaparte's were present, as were 2 juvenile Herring
Gulls. A Cattle Egret flew in with the gulls, and
circled for a few minutes as if trying to find a place
to land in the middle of the lake. A 2nd yr.
Ring-billed Gull decided the egret didn't belong there
and chased it off.
The annual late fall buzzard roost near the Glasgow
Water Works area has grown to at least 5-6 hundred
birds, and an adult Bald Eagle was present in the
Mason's Island area. Only 2 Common Loons were seen.
dave
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