Douglas Lake is creeping up into Rankin Bottoms: thousands of carp are partying in the shallows, and the summer birds are returning. A couple of rarities: Leslie Gibbens and I spotted a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (first spring record at Rankin, to my knowledge) in a gang of yellowlegs, and a LESSER SCAUP (first ever recorded at Rankin) dabbling with some teal. Tomorrow may be the last day that the low road along the bottoms will be completely above the lake waters, but good viewing should be possible from shore until the end of the month. Right now, the area is mobbed with fishermen after white bass on their spring run. Also observed: Double-crested cormorant (3) Great Blue Heron (10, including one in a nest on the riverbank opposite McCowan's Creek) Wood Duck (7) Mallard (12) Blue-winged teal (50+) Osprey (7) Least sandpiper (7) Greater yellowlegs (7) Lesser yellowlegs (15) Ring-billed gull Eastern kingbird (2) - First Of Season Barn swallow Tree Swallow Cliff swallow (200+ near Rankin Bridge) Blue-gray gnatcatcher (12) -FOS Prothonotary warbler (9) -FOS Yellow-rumped warbler (6) et al. Michael Sledjeski Del Rio, Cocke County TN =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER===================== The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation. ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------- 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 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ========================================================