[TN-Bird] KY Lake area 9/07/04
- From: <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 19:32:37 -0500
9/07/04
KY Lake area (Duck River to Paris Landing State Park)
Humphrey's, Benton, & Henry Co.
Don Manning and I spent the day checking various locations between Duck
River Unit of the TNWR in the south to Paris Landing to the north.
Shorebirds were the main question mark, and the levels on KY Lake jumping
back up about 6 inches over the last couple of days pretty much answered the
question. Most areas that had just recently gotten water off of them to
expose flats, are now back under. Projections are for the level to drop
again, hopefully the deluge in east TN won't hinder this. Although habitat
was very scarce, a few nice birds were seen, though always at a distance.
The ONLY shorebird habitat currently at Duck River is on the distant islands
that are just out near the mouth of the Duck, where it feeds into KY Lake.
This area could be easily birded with a canoe, though we had to make do with
scoping from the levee, and a lot of birds were seen using the area.
Distance prevented small birds from being ID'd, but an alternate plumage
Black-bellied Plover was easy enough to pick out in the distance, and a nice
group of 25-30 Lesser Yellowlegs was seen in flight a couple of times. Also
present was a Semi Plover which was heard overhead with a group of Killdeer.
Pectoral's and peeps were also seen in flight amongst the islands, but would
disappear upon landing. A juvenile Bald Eagle got everything up when it came
into one of the islands and claimed ownership. Also at Duck River were our
1st Gadwall of the season, 7, mixed in amongst the Mallards and Blue-winged
Teal.
From Duck River we went to the Pace Point area, stopping at Lick Creek,
which is of course mostly inundated as well. Only a single Semi Plover and
Spotted Sandpiper were present among the Killdeer in the small corner of
grassy flat that is exposed. Pace Point itself had only enough real estate
for the Ring-billed Gulls (100+) and Caspian Terns (3), and a small group of
Killdeer. It is about time to start picking up Laughing and Franklin's Gulls
in this area, but not today. The wind was terrible today, with the Lake
being solid whitecaps. A lone molting Ring-necked Duck was working the Point
with the DC Cormorants.
Two other favored locations, the mouth of the Big Sandy River and Britton
Ford, both also produced nothing, with no flats at either location. Our last
gasp for shorebirds, the mouth of Eagle Creek (Bull Durham Rd, just south of
Paris Landing), still had some decent grassy flats exposed. Birds here are
currently quite distant as well, but among the Least and Pectorals working
the edges of the grass, were also 2 beautifully buffy Baird's Sandpipers. It
is amazing at the distance you can pick out this subtly distinctive species.
This made for only 8 species of shorebirds on the day, but with the Lake up,
and Black-bellied and Baird's in the mix, I'll take it! I made a very quick
trip up last Friday afternoon to a couple of these spots, and had a few of
the other expected species (Semi, Western, Stilt Sands) on the mud flats
that were out then. Hopefully some mud will return soon. :'(
Paris Landing was our last stop. The island just south of the bridge that is
favored by loafing gulls is almost back under, but what is left was tightly
packed. Ring-billed Gulls lined it from end to end, with a couple of Herring
Gulls and several Caspian's also taking up station. Forster's and Common (my
1st of the year) Terns had to wedge in tight wherever they could! Gray's
Landing just across the bridge is a location that has been good for
passerines in the past, and this afternoon the trend held. Though not
outstanding by any means, we had our 1st decent group of passerines of the
fall. Warblers here were Prairie, Black-and-White, Yellow-throated, and
Nashville, to go along with a Tennessee seen earlier in the day. These along
with both Tanagers, and several Red-eyed and White-eyed Vireos, kept us
entertained for several minutes.
Good birding!!
Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
Carroll Co.
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd
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