[TN-Bird] McCown's Longspur details
- From: "Mark Greene" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "greenesnake@xxxxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: TN-Birds Bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 22:27:25 +0000 (UTC)
December 29, 2014Elam Road near the jct. w/ Garrett Sawmill Road, Obion County
While scanning the huge flock of 5000+ Lapland Longspurs, I first heard a
different rattle and immediately I thought "McCown's"! The bird rattled again
and I also heard the Horned Lark-like "prit-up" call twice, fairly close to me.
I continued to scan the birds in the flock that were closest to me and I came
upon the bird. It was a little smaller, duller, and more sandy in color than
the Laps seen in direct comparison. The face looked almost like a female House
Sparrow - with a pale supercilium, broad eyeline, and a large pale pinkish bill
that was darker at the tip. I could see some white in the tail when the bird
was one the ground. I had the bird in the scope on the ground for about 2-3
minutes at a distance of about 30 yards when the mail carrier came zooming down
the road and flushed several of the birds, including the McCown's. I
immediately got on the flock of 150 or so Laps with my binoculars and I picked
out the slightly smaller McCown's in the flock. They circled twice, almost
landing once, circled again, and then dropped into a corn stubble field 300
yards or so from the road. As the bird circled it flared its tail and I could
pick out the inverted black 'T" on the upper tail. I was looking for this when
the birds flushed. I only had a brief look at the inverted "T" but it was
unmistakable!
This is the third report of this species in Tennessee. The first was 28
November 1998 in the Pace Point area and the second was earlier this year on 23
March 2014 at Camp Jordan in Hamilton County. When we get these huge flocks of
laps we always look for the other species. We've also had Chestnut-collared
Longspurs in flocks of laps on three occasions in West TN so it always pays to
spend some time with these flocks!
I also encountered large flocks of Killdeer in the wet fields in the area. I
had 2 groups totaling 150 birds on Elam Road and then another 1,350+ on Garrett
Sawmill Road for a total of 1,500+ in this relatively small area! The only
other shorebirds were 2 Wilson's Snipe on Garrett Sawmill Road. Other birds of
note were a few American Pipits and 200 or so Horned Larks.
Good birding!
Mark GreeneTrenton, TNGibson county
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