We set out on Sunday evening from the tipple road at Rankin Bottoms to
survey the two miles above the mouth of the Nolichucky River. Two low
islands there are owned by TVA and included in the Rankin WMA. A couple
hundred acres more are privately-owned floodplain/mudflat. At 989.6 feet,
the elevation of Douglas Lake was higher than last week and the flats were
only about 25% exposed. The clamor of ATVS close to the flats may have
driven off some of the shorebirds spotted from the road last week.
Rankin Bottoms is still flooded, with little or no shorebird habitat. The
heronry has shifted to the south end of the embayment and is barely visible
from the shore.
Nolichucky birds (all within the boundaries of Hamblen county: Canada goose (50+) Wood duck (20+) [Green-winged teal (14) - 90% confidence; a quick, distant fly-by] Double-crested cormorant (8) Great blue heron (10) Little blue heron (3 imm.) Green heron(15) Black-crowned night-heron (4) White ibis (1 adult, 3 imm.) Killdeer (2) Solitary sandpiper (6) Spotted sandpiper (2) Common highthawk (21) Belted kingfisher (11) Eastern kingbird Prothonotary warbler, imm.
Michale Sledjeski & Leslie Gibbens Cocke county TN
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