[TN-Bird] Franklin's Gull Migration Today - TN-MS Plus
- From: olcoot1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, missbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:39:14 -0400
Oct. 20, 2007
Mississippi River,
Ensley Bottoms,
Shelby Co. TN
Arkabutla Lake
Tate Co. MS
There was good movement on the river on Friday with lots of Coots and
Pied-billed Grebe in pods floating south. In the air were large groups of DC
Cormorants and my first of season skein of mixed Snow and Blue Geese of about
44 birds.
This morning there were more cormorants, coots and grebes plus about 4
Ring-billed Gulls. Another grebe was holding up in an eddy to the north and
rode up?in the water like an Eared but the ID would have to wait till the
afternoon. Small flocks of Green and Blue-winged Teal along with Shovelers were
pulled up and resting along the sand bars. Just as I was about to head south to
the pits, 7 FRANKLIN'S GULLS roared south, skimming the water. They were the
first of many more seen?there in the
afternoon.???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
At the pits the Least Sandpiper numbers had been halved with Killdeer and a
single Dunlin and Lesser Yellowlegs were the only others left in the mix. Two
Harriers, 2 Cooper's, a Red-shouldered and 6 Red-tails with 4 Kestrels the only
falcon representatives present. The only two groups of White Pelican's lazily
floated south and totaled 88 birds.
I headed down to Tunica Co, in Mississippi,?trying to find rice harvesting in
progress but I only found idle?combines and talked to a farmer that told me the
rain had the grain too wet but it would probably be ready late in the afternoon
or Sunday. I then headed over to Arkabutla Lake and hit a bonanza of white
birds at the swimming beach along with two groups a couple of hundred yards out
in the lake. Mixed in with the 135 Forster's Terns on the beach and a pod of
220 sitting out in the lake (355 is my top number ever around here) I was able
to pull out two Common Terns, two?Bonaparte's Gulls (my first of season)?and a
BIG?(Little) SURPRISE, a late Black?Tern. Gull wise there were a couple of
hundred Ring-billed Gulls and a?second year Laughing Gull plus another 22
FRANKLIN'S GULLS.
Back in Memphis at the river this afternoon, the coot's had formed a large
group of over 200 birds with a few ducks mixed in, the mystery grebe had come
down to the eddy at Dacus Bar and it was an Eared (fos). Looking far up river,
flashing wings drew my attention, I jumped out of the truck and photograhed 72
FRANKLIN'S GULLS flying right on top of the water but they would not fly under
the bridge; they pulled up, circled and went over the big M, dropping again to
the deck and hurried south. Not as good as the over 3800 Franklin's Nancy Moore
and I had a few years back up at Tiptonville but I'll take 101 Franklin's any
day around here!!! They are lovely birds, More tomorrow??
Jeff R. Wilson
Ol'Coot / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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