[TN-Bird] Pickwick Gulls +
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:16:14 EDT
Pickwick Dam
Harden Co, TN
Saturday, the gulls were above the dam in high numbers with the rails of the
locks covered with birds perched side by side. Other groups were in pods all
the way from the dam to south of Bruton Branch. There was one immature
Thayer's with a slightly molted back and showing a bill with a pale base.
Bonaparte's Gulls were in all stages of molt, breeding to some still in first
winter
garb. Ring-billed were the most numerous with one photographed wearing a
yellow wing tag. There were more Herring than I've seen all year and one
aberrant
bird in third year plumage with a solid black tail; I had never seen a white
headed Herring with such a dark solid tail but it was too light backed to be
anything else.
A very dark, black backed bird sitting in a group of Herring Gulls south of
Bruton Branch was just too far away to get a firm handle on size or bill but
it was much darker than a third cycle Lesser Black-backed seen and
photographed on the dam. Even this perched bird had me scratching my head as it
had
pinkish legs rather than expected yellowish legs for Lesser but the rest of
the
bird was in the Lesser B-b club rather than Slatyback look. As usual, you
just can't get good close looks a Pickwick Dam but when the gulls are there it
can be exciting even in the rain. If they stay for a while it would be worth
checking out this bunch of gulls in better lighting and not a poring rain.
An even dozen Caspian Terns and 3 Forster's Terns were seen on the barge
moorings above the dam.
I got a few photos of Fish Crows scavenging fish below the dam along with
Turkey Vultures. The shots show the diagnostic throat ruff as the crows were
calling. Their numbers appear to be increasing all across west TN near
waterways.
The three species of grebes present ran the gamut of plumage's while all but
2 or 3 of the 40 plus Common Loons present were already in full breeding
plumage. There were 12 species of waterfowl present with the largest number
being a group of 80 Red-breasted Mergansers south of Bruton Branch.
Other wise it was a damp fine day at the dam.
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.
**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
Home.
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------
Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
Cleveland, OH
-------------------------------
Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ARCHIVES
TN-Bird Net Archives at //www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/
EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com
_____________________________________________________________
Other related posts:
- » [TN-Bird] Pickwick Gulls +
