[TN-Bird] Katrina's last Gasp?
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 19:21:22 EDT
Sept. 1, 2005
Dacus Bar, Mississippi River
Shelby Co. TN
Well, Katrina kept me breathless for 2 days with 3 new TN birds and a
possible GREAT TN bird to be reviewed. Then, when I finally thought I could get
some rest by going back to work, she did it again. I had to go down town this
morning, playing catch up after playing hooky. Of course, I had to go by the
river. There was nothing of interest when I pulled up except a few Least and
Black Terns. I started to leave when a string of 6 large terns came flying in
from behind the trees on Loosahatchie Bar. The fourth bird back, look slimmer
and sure enough it was a ROYAL TERN. They scattered about and I whipped out
the camera and even through heat waves and shooting across the river, I got
pretty good ID shots. I skimmed through the others but nothing really caught
my
eye. The Royal preened a little and another bird had sidled up to it but it
was an immature and I did not pay it much attention as I concentrated on the
Royal.
The Royal got up and flew around fishing, giving me good looks at the wing
pattern, after a while it caught a fish and brought it back to the sandbar and
FED the young bird!!!! That just blew me away and I popped off a few more
shots. Within a few minutes, the Caspian Terns headed down river and the Royal
fed the young bird again before they too headed south. I never really got a
good look at the immature except from the back as it rested and was being fed
but as they flew off, it appeared to have the lighter forehead and was about
the same size as the adult Royal.
YOU JUST NEVER KNOW..........
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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