[TN-Bird] Christmas Weekend Birding Adventures

From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 07:54:40 EST
DEC 25-26, 2004
Pace Point Area
 
I snuck away on Christmas afternoon and drove to Pace Point to see what  
goodies Santa had left for Gran-Paw. The feast laid out was almost too much and 
 
my eyes twinkled and the immense horde of circling white gulls twinkled back.  
The ducks and gulls were evenly spread as far as the eye could see. I settled 
in  at Rocky Point and started the job of ticking off species. The bays were 
iced  over, so the birds were all out in the open water of Big Sandy.
 
The only disappointment was the low numbers of loons, with only 9 at Rocky  
Point and 2 at Granny's Dock on the opposite side of the point. The gate to the 
 point is still closed, I would imagine that the high water pretty much made 
the  road impassable. The long slow trip up over the white black tops from 
Memphis  had put me there a little late and dusk fell on my glee.
 
On the way out I had a Barred Owl fly across the road and sit in the open.  
Its prize catch hanging below the limb was a large rat. The next day as Mike 
and  I were coming out, I told Mike about the encounter and lo and behold there 
the  owl was. We stopped but the owl was intent on something below and took no 
notice  as we sat nearby and took a few photos in the failing light. The bird 
dropped  down out of sight and we waited for a few minutes only to see the 
bird return to  the perch with a large rat. GO Owls...........
 
A real Christmas treat was sitting under a Privet Bush surrounded by  
Bluebirds, some close enough to touch. They were working the fruit and then  
flying 
back to exposed perches, relieving themselves from both ends and diving  back 
into the bush. They paid the OL'COOT no mind as eating was primary.  Needless 
to say I took a few close up portraits as they sat around me in the  bright 
sun. Truly an unexpected gift of the season!
 
Mike has told you the rest of the Christmas story complete with 24 swans  
asleeping and a Barred Owl in a Beech Tree!  
Good  Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett,  TN



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[TN-Bird] Christmas Weekend Birding Adventures

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