[TN-Bird] Pace Point Bonanza / Long
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 09:04:06 EST
Jan. 25, 2004
Pace Point area
Henry-Benton Co. TN
I arrived at Britton Ford late Saturday and was treated to a panorama of
ducks with a few geese thrown in. There is an impressive number of Canvasbacks
there and huge numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers and Goldeneye were to be
found
all over the area from Britton Ford, Paris Landing and the Point. The best
birds were 2 male Common Mergansers flashing white sides in an almost semaphore
style as they slept.
I hurried to Port Road overlook to find the gray skies and waves making it
almost impossible to see anything. What really was stunning were the huge
flocks
of gulls feeding in various locations over the area. It looked like huge snow
storms interspersed with flurries all across the lake.
Sunday morning started at Paris Landing with a huge flotilla of scaup and
another of Goldeneye. I counted through the closest group of Goldeneye bouncing
on the waves and had 450 in view. I scanned the gulls at the Paris Landing
marina and had a couple of interesting birds, one was a candidate for an adult
Thayer's but I've got to get to the photos to make sure. Nothing much in Eagle
Creek but I did get Purple Finches and a few Pine Siskins for the year at a
feeder. Port Road was again unproductive but the view of the feeding gulls was
worth the stop.
The weather was as diverse as the birds as it went from rain to sleet to fine
snow and then to fog, then drizzle and back to rain and cold winds. After
noon there was a break in the clouds and a warm wind but then a cold wind and
sweeping hard rain and then more fog only to be burned off by the sun and then
a
quick rain only to clear again. Late in the afternoon the Big Sandy side was
calm and glassy still??? I got wet, I got warm, I got wind blown, I got chilled
but I got birds!
Back at Britton Ford another treat awaited in the form of a leucistic hen
Gadwall, pretty in pink to say the least. I'll get those photos worked up but I
have over 140 shots to look through first. While watching the ducks trade in
and out, a 2nd year Bald Eagle made a lazy circle and flushed the ducks. His
keen eye caught sight of a crippled Gadwall on the water and in a swooping
glide,
snatched the bird from the water. It took the bird to the shore and started
plucking the breast. As I watched, I notice the eagle hunch down and look up; a
sub-adult Golden Eagle dropped in and feinted an attack but the Bald was
bigger so the Golden just dropped to the shore a few feet away. The Bald Eagle
made an advance on the Golden dragging its prize and the Golden decided it had
better look for its food elsewhere.
Hunters had taken over the Big Sandy Flat area and a couple of Kingfishers
chattered the whole time I was there. At Granny's Branch I had the best bird of
the weekend as the Black-headed Gull put in a brief appearance. At the
maintenance buildings on the refuge I had another huge gathering of ducks and
pulled
out 7 male Common Mergansers hounding 3 females. All three species of
mergansers were present again.
At the Point, the spread of gulls was mind boggling as they were drifted up
like snow. I was hoping that the Black-headed Gull might had been among them
and the thousand of preening and sleeping Bonaparte's might even hide a Little
Gull. Shortly after I got there a rusty old pickup with a couple of Good Ole
Boys and their trusty dogs took care of any real ID possibilities. At the bay
just south of the point on the TN RV side I had a couple of hundred Greater
Scaup with only a few Lesser. There was a big collection of Lesser on the Big
Sandy side.
At Rocky Point on the Big Sandy reach there was a veritable smorgasbord of
species spread out in every direction. A warmer breeze had taken charge and the
waters had calmed and I settled in for the evening. Quickly, I located an
adult and immature Red-throated Loon feeding together and then a sleeping
Pacific
and shortly thereafter another Pacific. The ducks were spread out, the gulls
were feeding and all was well in the world as the sun sank away.
Right now, because of the recent bad weather to our north Pace Point is worth
a trip..........
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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