I covered Kyker Bottoms (among other places) today for theBlount County bird
county. I haven't finalized the report yet. (It'sbeen a long day.) However, I
want to get some still tentative andpreliminary information out for fellow
birders. In addition to somenice finds such as Least Bittern, Prothonotary
Warbler, etc., therewere some nice surprises in what I like to refer to as the
“SandpiperPool” on the north side of the Refuge. It has been full of wateruntil
recently, but is now beginning to have mud flats appear and iscoming into prime
habitat again. It is, in my opinion, the bestsandpiper spot in Blount County.
In addition to one (and perhapsboth) species of yellowlegs and a flock of about
40 least sandpipers,there were two other surprises. There were three
semipalmatedplovers, which have not been reported on eBird in the county
since2008. There was also, tentatively, ten short-billed dowitchers,which have
never been reported on eBird for Blount County. I am veryconfident about the
plovers and relatively confident about thedowitchers. I will post photos later
so that y'all can convince methat they are just snipe, but I don't think that
they are. It alsoseemed that there might have been a larger peep or two mixed
in withthe least sandpipers, but it was very difficult to find, isolate,
andfocus on them through the weeds.
I will try to have the official eBirdreport up by later tomorrow.
Randy WinsteadMaryville, Blount County
