[TN-Bird] Sightings Report, Sat 4 May 2014, The Pits-MTOS Hike-Memphis, Shelby County, Fulvous Whistling Duck Yes

From: John Walko <walko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Tn-Bird <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Dick Preston <dickpreston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, nitya_vittal@xxxxxxxxx, jwhirley@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 4 May 2014 21:21:51 -0500

Ensley Bottoms, Maxson Wastewater Lagoons(The Pits)/Earth Complex, Shelby, US-TN
May 4, 2014 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments:     MTOS Sponsored spring hike to The Pits. Great day to be out and 
about, clear skies, 67-82 dgs slight breeze at times, 15 people, 4 vehicles, 
2.5 m by vehicle, .5 mile foot. Shorebirds were the target species today and 
did not disappoint, some forest and field along with some waterfowl.  Fulvous 
Whstling duck was relocated on the front end of the big pit # 5. 
Lots of new faces on todays hike, Chad Brown, David & Betty Blaylock, Gaynell 
Perry, Jim & Sue Ferguson,Sue Williams, Nancy Riddell. Bill Price (Memphis), 
Santi Lombardo (Collierville), Boyd Williams (Franklin), John & Ann Whirley 
(Memphis), Nitya Vittal(Shelby County) and trip leader Jay Walko. 54 species on 
the day, big misses were Spotted Sandpiper & Stilt Sandpiper, searched in vain 
for a Painted Bunting in all the right places but only came up with Indigo 
Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks. Met five other birders down in the pits. The group 
of three did see a Painted but we could not relocate.
54 species

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  50     Good amount spread about, birds were 
coming and going all morning from one area to another.
Fulvous Whistling-Duck  1     Single bird once again found hanging with a 
Black-bellied Whistling Duck on lagoon # 5 front end.

Greater White-fronted Goose  2   Same two birds sitting up on the back levee in 
the center area, why they staying around? Possible hunting wounds, I've never 
seen them fly even from pond to pond these last 6 weeks or so.

Canada Goose  27
Mallard  7
Blue-winged Teal  75     Numbers seem about half of what they have been the 
last several days. Maybe it's getting too warm for them.
Northern Shoveler  12
Northern Bobwhite  2
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  1
Turkey Vulture  2
Mississippi Kite  2
Red-tailed Hawk  2
American Coot  6
Black-necked Stilt  40     Easily 40, mostly all paired up.
Killdeer  17
Solitary Sandpiper  30     Still quite a few around in every lagoon levee 
hanging with other shorebirds.
Greater Yellowlegs  2     Yes 2, hanging out feeding with a mixed flock 
including lesser Yellow-legs on pit #5.
Lesser Yellowlegs  50     Good numbers but not as many as Friday.
Least Sandpiper  55
White-rumped Sandpiper  3
Pectoral Sandpiper  60
Semipalmated Sandpiper  3
Western Sandpiper  5
Long-billed Dowitcher  6
Wilson's Phalarope  50     Everywhere mixed up with the other shorebirds, had 
one good group of 12 doing their choreographed feeding routine. Shorebirds 
including these were not skittish today. Flying quite cloe to us.
Mourning Dove  12
Red-headed Woodpecker  1
Eastern Kingbird  1
Loggerhead Shrike  1
White-eyed Vireo  2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  5
Barn Swallow  6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
Brown Thrasher  1     There is a nest at the maint shed bushes.
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  7
Tennessee Warbler  1
Common Yellowthroat  3
Hooded Warbler  1
Yellow-breasted Chat  1
Field Sparrow  2
Savannah Sparrow  22
White-crowned Sparrow  19     Maint yard.
Northern Cardinal  7
Blue Grosbeak  7
Indigo Bunting  12
Dickcissel  17
Red-winged Blackbird  50
Eastern Meadowlark  3
Common Grackle  7
Brown-headed Cowbird  4
Baltimore Oriole  2     Trees btween the Maint shed and the Recycling shredder 
yard.
American Goldfinch  1

View this checklist online at 
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18227547
John "Jay" Walko
Collierville, TN
www.pbase.com/jwalko

[TN-Bird] Sightings Report, Sat 4 May 2014, The Pits-MTOS Hike-Memphis, Shelby County, Fulvous Whistling Duck Yes

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