[tn-bird] Black Rail - Reelfoot Rice
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2002 22:17:46 EDT
Oct. 14, 2002
West side Reelfoot Lake
Lake Co. TN
I've been chomping at the bit to get up to Reelfoot and the rice harvest. I
got away from work at noon and sped north. Along the Great River Road in Dyer
and Lake Counties, I had 4 large kettles of White Pelicans that totaled over
730 birds. Harriers, both male and female, were found along this drive. I
arrived at the rice fields just north of the road into Gray's Camp at 1:30 PM
and settled in for the next 4 hours and I think rail-arms are worse than
warbler-neck, you just can't let your guard down.
There were two combines harvesting one field and I had missed the best and
wettest section but evidently not the best bird. They would run through wet
areas but as they progressed to the north the field was generally dry. I had
pinpointed the wet areas and concentrated on each pass through these areas. I
almost never put my glasses down, determined to get my Virginia or Yellow
Rail for the year.
I had seen a bunch of good birds including about 30 Sora, 4 Wilson's Snipe,
many Marsh and Sedge Wrens, 8 Bobolink, and Savannah Sparrows when at 3:30,
the two combines converged on an area very near my location. They were
running parallel to the road in different directions. Because the farmers in
the area are generally not too friendly to birders I could not locate myself
at the end of the runs where they turn. This is my favorite place to watch
for rails because all the confirmed Black Rails I've ever seen in the
mid-south were running not flying and these turn-arounds afford the best area
to see these mini-creepers.
I had seen a small dark bird pop up and down on the last pass through the
area and this time the bird came up and started away from me. It was small
and dark and could have been a tailless blackbird but the second combine
flared the bird and it flew straight at me. Its size, wing shape, small head
and bill, splayed feet at the end of the dangling dark legs, the uniform dark
charcoal belly and underwings were all that were necessary for the ID; I had
my first countable Black Rail for TN.
I walked the ditches near the field for any Virginias but only found Soras
huddled at the waters edge. In a stretch of Panicum and Spangle Top grass, I
had 2 Sharp-tailed and a Grasshopper Sparrow that I first thought was a
LeConte's and with more Savannah that you could shake a stick at in the edge
of the stubble. I saw more Harriers, 2 Bald Eagles, two Red-tailed Hawks that
tried for a couple of fleeing Soras, a flyby Peregrine that jumped a large
flock of Killdeer that settled back in one field and totaled 273 birds and 3
different Cooper's Hawks.
They cut off the combines at 5:30 and I had not seen the first Virginia nor
Yellow Rail but the long ride home seemed short.
Rail Totals: 41 Soras, 1 BLACK RAIL, Thank You Uncle Ben.............
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.
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