At its current elevation of 989 feet, the most extensive shorebird habitat
on Douglas Lake lies above the mouth of the Nolichucky River. Yesterday I
drove along Leepers Ferry Rd. near Leadvale to scope for birds on the
Nolichucky mudflats. They're 200 yards or more from the road across private
property, and mostly obscured by trees. I spotted a bird-rich area about 1
mile after turning north from the Leadvale Rd. After identifying what I
could, I drove over to the Rankin coal chute to watch the waders fly in,
around sunset, to roost 1/2 mile across the embayment.
Nolichucky birds: Canada Goose (40) Great blue heron (5) Great egret (22) Little blue heron Killdeer (25) Lesser Yellowlegs (5) peeps(6) Pectoral sandpiper (11) plus some swallows, mallards, and wood ducks
Notable at Rankin Bottoms: Double-crested cormorant (100+) Great Blue Heron (13) Great egret (156) SNOWY EGRET Little blue heron (13, all juveniles) Green heron (11) Black-crowned night-heron (9, 4 juveniles) Black vulture (60+) Caspian tern Spotted sandpiper (2) Eastern wood-peewee
Michael Sledjeski Cocke county TN
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