[TN-Bird] Hatchie and Ensley update (9/1/2014)

From: Michael Todd <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: TN Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2014 00:29:34 -0700
9/1/2014
ONeal Lake (Hatchie NWR) Haywood Co
Ensley area Shelby Co

Following Terry Witt's post this morning about a Knot at Ensley, I broke free 
for a few hours this afternoon to run back down there as a Knot is a rare treat 
nowadays. On the way, I stopped in briefly at O'Neal Lake to see what might be 
around arriving about 12:45. Several herons in the extreme northeast corner of 
the loop, including a juvenile Tricolored Heron. This bird disappears very 
easily in the tall grass in this area. Numerous Little Blues and Great Egrets, 
and a few Cattle and Snowy Egrets. Saw later that 2 Tricolored's were reported 
on eBird in this location the previous day.

I arrived at TVA Lake at 2 PM on the dot, deciding to take a quick look up here 
before going to the Pits. Lots of shorebirds getting some fresh water up here, 
including numerous Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpipers, and the Red 
Knot! After a few minutes, the Knot left with 3 Stilt Sandpipers in the general 
direction of the Pits.

There were a lot more birds at the Pits than on Saturday, it is a shame the 
Delta Wind Birds Shorebird ID class wasn't this day instead of Saturday, as I 
had 20 species, and at least 3000 birds! The pits to the north of the central 
levee had tons of birds, and this is where Terry had the Knot this morning. I 
drove the levee along the north end of these pits initially. Big influx of 
Baird's since Saturday, with at least 10 birds present (6 juv. and 4 adult), 
and now 2 Sanderling. Still very few Westerns amongst the hordes of Least and 
Semi's. The gorgeous and very fresh juvenile Red Knot was up in this area 
initially, then flushed with a lot of other birds.

The big central pit is still very flooded, with small numbers of shorebirds on 
what little dry area is out. Black Terns are still dancing all over the area. 
The area along the levee road going south from the big pit was very productive, 
all of the way down. The Red Knot was in this area when I arrived, with large 
numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs (100+), Stilt Sandpipers (10), and the continuing 
juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher. A surprise here was a nice adult White-rumped 
Sandpiper, always scarce in the fall, for all of TN's expected peeps on the 
day. Also had a single Buff-breasted on one of the big dry flats in this area, 
and heard an Upland Sandpiper call but which remained out of sight. 

I ran into a couple of other birders, one of which had seen a group of Wood 
Storks come into one of the nearby sloughs, so they are in the area. Made a 
brief stop at TVA Lake again on way out, and the Avocet was back, though seemed 
to be staying in an out of sight area off to the west, or that is where it 
walked out from. A single Caspian Tern was a new addition this trip.

Shorebird totals if interested:

Semipalmated Plover: 15
Killdeer: estimate of 200
Black-necked Stilt: 3 (adult and 2 young)
American Avocet: 1
Greater Yellowlegs: 3
Lesser Yellowlegs: 100+
Solitary Sandpiper: 6
Spotted Sandpiper: 3
Upland Sandpiper: 1 (heard)
Red Knot: 1 juvenile

Sanderling: 2 (molting adults)
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 175 (only saw 2 adults)
Western Sandpiper: 6 (all juv)
Least Sandpiper: 2500+
White-rumped Sandpiper: 1 adult

Baird's Sandpiper: 10 (6 juv 4 adult)
Pectoral Sandpiper: 100 (few juveniles)
Stilt Sandpiper: 6 (all juveniles)
Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 1
Short-billed Dowitcher: 1 juvenile

Will post some photos later. If interested, I do have some photos from birding 
with the Delta Wind Birds group down there on Saturday though. The pix are in 
the following gallery: http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/delta_wind_birds_ensley

Good Birding!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd
[TN-Bird] Hatchie and Ensley update (9/1/2014)

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