[TN-Bird] Pace Point Weekend -
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:44:19 EST
Nov. 10-11, 2007
Pace Point, Rocky Point, Lick Creek
Big Sandy Flats, Granny's,
Britton Ford, Port and Trailer Roads,
Eagle Creek, Paris Landing
Stewart, Benton, Henry Co, TN
It had been too long since I had been up there and I decided to scout out
the area before Thanksgiving Turkey Trot weekend. I found it REALLY had been
TOO
long as there is always something around the next corner up that way. Lots
of building and new areas to explore. Ninety Six species with little woodland
birding produced some really good birds.
I ran into Nancy Moore, Saturday morning at Big Sandy, when I stop at the
store for provisions. Our first stop was Rocky Point on the west side looking
at
the Big Sandy Reach. Loons, loons, loons but not the largest number I've
had there by far but plenty to keep us busy. In one of the first groups scanned
appeared a PACIFIC off to one side which almost instantly started feeding and
diving going away and out of the 400+ loons in the area, it never seen
again. Finally, at 4:30 PM Sunday at Port Road Overlook, I located two adult
RED-THROATED LOONS going to roost but could not worm out a YB. On Sunday the
loons were moving south, flying in groups low over the water towards Big Sandy,
I
relocated these birds out from Antioch and the east road from Britton Ford
which will soon be closed.
Pied- billed Grebes counted from every stop ran around 400 birds while
Horned totaled up to 650++. While we were looking at the birds at Rocky Point
and
I was going over ID points of Horned and Eared Grebe with Nancy, the Bird
Fairy kissed me right on the nose. I looked at a tiny bird right up next to the
shore, swimming by and low and behold it was the most cooperative EARED GREBE
I've ever had the pleasure to photograph. We may get one a season up there
so it was a bonus for the weekend. The bird taught me something right off the
bat, a behavior I'd never seen, it was feeding on insects, picking them off
the water and even snapping them out of the air. Lesson one for the weekend.
We did not have very many Pelicans with just over 20 at Lick Creek but
hundreds of DC Cormorant steadily flew south both days. Twenty-one species of
waterfowl with no Canvasback or Scoters and only one flyover Goldeneye. The
best
bird was photographed on Sunday at the Britton Ford observation platform, a
female LONG-TAILED DUCK a.k.a Oldsquaw. Over night there was a huge influx of
Canada Geese and in the mix came 2 Snows and 4 CACKLING Geese. We had a few
Greater White-fronted on Saturday but their numbers had doubled over night.
Seven species of raptors with Golden Eagles a no-show. Wild Turkeys at three
locations, Coots in huge numbers and Wind Birds were a bust with just
Killdeer and lots of Wilson's Snipe. Gulls were a different matter but the
Laughing
Gull did not cooperate leaving we with just 7 species, 2 FRANKLIN"S at Pace
Point and 1 at Britton Ford all photographed, Bonaparte's, Ring-billed,
Herring, 1 adult THAYER'S at the Point along with a first cycle CALIFORNIA and
2
LESSER BLACK-BACKED. Forster's terns were seen in good numbers at Eagle Creek,
Big Sandy Flats and Port Road at the roost. Lesson 2 for the weekend, two
Bonaparte's took a dislike to one of the thousand Crows flying across Britton
Ford and proceeded to dive and swoop on the bird. I watched them as far as I
could, with the Crow dodging and putting on the afterburners trying to get away
??
Only 8 species of sparrows but did I phish up one Le-Conte's at Britton Ford
at their much degraded habitat. Over-all a great weekend and looking forward
to getting back for the rest of the exciting winter birds that can be found
up that way.
Good Birding !!!
Jeff R. Wilson / TLBA
6300 Memphis-Arlington Road
Bartlett, TN 38135
http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/
What is this feathered thing that lifts my heart to the heavens.
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