[TN-Bird] NW TN birding, Common Ground-Dove!

From: Mark Greene <greenesnake@xxxxxxxxx>
To: tn bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2013 08:27:04 -0700 (PDT)
I've been out and about in Northwest TN this week. Scroll to the bottom for 
details on the Common Ground-Dove.
 
Here are the highlights:
 
Monday, April 1st
 
I looked for Am. Golden-Plovers in some of the areas where I've had them in 
Obion County in recent years but struck out. I did find a nice flock of 21 
Pectoral Sandpipers of Garrett Sawmill Road. I also had 3 Northern Harriers 
here, including a nice adult male.
 
At home, just southwest of Trenton, in Gibson County, there are now 3 adult 
male Purple Martins at my gourd colony. Chipping Sparrows have also returned 
and a pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves have been seen several times in the yard 
recently. A pair of Fish Crows flew over. This was the third record for this 
species in the yard.
 
Tuesday, April 2nd
 
I finally found some nice flocks of American Golden-Plovers. I had a flock of 
300+ birds just north of the Dyer-Lake County line along the Great River Road 
in Lake County. Also here were 5 Greater Yellowlegs. I had lots of swallows 
along the Great River Road in Dyer & Lake Counties - Barn, N. Rough-winged, 
Tree, and Purple Martins were feeeding over almost every body of water. Several 
duck species were also seen - Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Am. 
Wigeon, N. Shoveler, and Mallard were all seen in good numbers. I also had a 
few Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, and a pair of Buffleheads. A couple of 
Pied-billed Grebes were also seen.
 
Also in Lake County, in a wet area at the north end on Joe Shenk Road, I had 
over 200 Wilson's Snipe! This wet spot also had 4 Greater Yellowlegs and 25 
very vocal Rusty Blackbirds. Mixed in with the Rusties were a few Common 
Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, and at least 8 Brewer's Blackbirds. One male 
Brwer's was also particularly vocal and sang (well, if you want to call it a 
song!) nearly the entire time I was there. I also had a couple of very vocal 
Fish Crows here. I think all the birds must have been protesting the sleet that 
was falling! I know I was! Around the corner, on Lower Wynnburg Road, I found 
25 more Wilson's Snipe along with a 4-5 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Lesser 
Yellowlegs, and 10 Pectoral Sandpipers. Surprisingly I didn't see any Least 
Sandpipers all day. Killdeer have started nesting all over and almost every 
gravel and chip/tar road seems to have a nesting bird on the side of the road.
 
On Flowers Sheep Ridge Road, where the mighty MS River, took the road a couple 
of years ago, I found a few ducks, mostly Gadwall, with one nice male 
Canvasback mixed in. There were a few Ring-billed and Bonaparte's Gulls here 
and a single Bald Eagle sitting out over the water.
 
The best bird of the day came in western Gibson County, along Hwy. 104, where a 
Common Ground-Dove flew across the road in front of me! This bird was seen on 
Hwy. 104W (between Trenton & Dyersburg) between the jct. of Fuller Road and the 
jct. of Bluff Cutoff Road. I turned around and went back and could not relocate 
the bird. The bird literally flew 10 feet in front of the truck as I was 
driving! I clearly saw a small dove with ascaly-looking head with chestnut 
colored primaries and a short tail. I will look for the bird again today and 
report my findings.
 
Good birding,
 
Mark Greene
Trenton, TN
Gibson County
[TN-Bird] NW TN birding, Common Ground-Dove!

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