[TN-Bird] Belated report, Shelby Co birding 4/28/12

From: Michael Todd <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: TN Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:10:12 -0700 (PDT)
I posted this, or so my computer said, Sunday but it never showed up. Here goes 
again.

 
4/28/12
Shelby Co (President's Island, Mud Island, Ensley, Meeman-Shelby, Eagle Lake
 
Finally got a day to bird this spring, so went down and joined Jeff  for a very 
enjoyable, if not especially birdy, day around Shelby Co. We  had a decent 115 
species, more than I had expected. The very brisk,  20-30 mph winds all day 
didn't help our cause any. Today would have been  the day to go down, 
in hindsite probably..
 
We started at Mud Island, hoping for some swallows, but practically  none and 
nothing else of note. A trip around President's Island,  yielded very few 
doves, 
and no Western Kingbirds or Scissor-tails.  Once again though, the high wind 
didn't help here. A roosting Common  Nighthawk we saw on the way out was a nice 
surprise.
 
Shorebirds at the pits were WAY down compared to Jeff's last visit,  and we had 
to work very hard to find 10 species, including a few Stilt  Sandpipers, 
Long-billed Dowitchers and Semi Sands. Birds were very wary  and constantly 
looking up, which put us on one high-flying Peregrine. No  Black-bellied 
Whistling Ducks for us today. A trip to the Painted  Bunting area resulted with 
a talk to one of the TVA security guys,  saying that you must stay in your car 
at that site.....We did have two  singing Painted Buntings in the area. 
 
We decided to head north to Eagle Lake. Of course, the gate at the  top of the 
bluff was locked.......But, we did have a nice Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher on 
the 
wires along the entrance as we were leaving. We then  birded some in 
Meeman-Shelby, finding small pockets of birds several  places, finishing with 
16 
warblers on the day including a couple of  Golden-wings, a singing 
Canada, Nashville, Black-throated Green and  great looks at a Swainson's. A 
fruiting Mulberry tree near Chucalissa  was a treat for a little while as 
we watched both Tanagers, Swainoson's  Thrushes and other birds come in to 
feast 
on the fruit.
 
A few new images are in a new gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/spring_2012
 
For the few airshow/aviation enthusiasts out there, I also have  some images 
from Aviation Nation in Las Vegas back in November posted to  my airshows 
gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/airshows
 
Good Birding!!
 
Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd
[TN-Bird] Belated report, Shelby Co birding 4/28/12

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