[TN-Bird] Henry Co birds-Paris Landing to Pace Point

From: "Scott Somershoe" <Scott.Somershoe@xxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:52:23 -0600
Tony Lance and I birded on Wednesday from Paris Landing SP around to Pace 
Point.  We covered some of the same areas David Chaffin and crew birded, but 
not all the same locations.  We also birded up through TNWR-Big Sandy to Pace 
Point.

From Paris Landing SP we had a flyover Brown-headed Cowbird, which was attacked 
by 2 adult Peregrine Falcons that came out of nowhere.  They each took a couple 
dives at it, missing, and the cowbird landed in trees along the bridge.  The 
show was worth the price of admission!  The falcons went out and landed on a 
sandbar out by the bridge, where they stayed for an hour or so.

We didn't have much luck of anything waterbird related from the Port Rd area 
(we missed one of the access areas), but at the Buchanan Resort inlet we had a 
flock of at least 210 Pied-billed Grebes.

We did not see the Barrows Goldeneye, but there were over 1275 Common Goldeneye 
to sort through!  The majority of these were seen from Pace Point and were 
mostly separated from the several thousand Mallards, scaup, and other ducks in 
the area.  Late in the day, the Goldeneye were pouring in in mass to the east 
side of Pace Point.  I estimated 1275, but I bet there was at least a thousand 
more around the bend that I couldn't see.  We were losing daylight at that 
point too.

Earlier at Pace Point we had a flyby Red-throated Loon. Just before we left, an 
Eared Grebe showed up and was very cooperative from about 50 yds.

I don't know the name of the access area, but travelling SW from Pace Point 
down the west side of Big Sandy is/was best the viewing area for loons.  It is 
almost due east of where David and crew saw the Barrows and where the 
Yellow-billed Loon had been observed.  We got there way too late and it had 
started raining, but the majority of loons in the area were there, mixed in 
with many thousands of gulls (almost all ring-billed), red-breasted mergansers, 
and a smattering of many other things we couldn't see. Birding this area 
without rain and clouds and maybe some actual daylight would be great!

Good birding!
Scott Somershoe




State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
615-781-6653 (o)
601-868-0101 (cell)
615-781-6654 (fax)

"Keeping the rubber side down." -SGS
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[TN-Bird] Henry Co birds-Paris Landing to Pace Point

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