[TN-Bird] Thayer's Yes, Iceland No; Reelfoot Lake area 2/14/05

From: <birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 19:54:47 -0600
2/14/05
Proctor City Road
North of Tiptonville
West of 78 Highway
Lake Co.

What a difference a day makes! I left work early today, and got up to the 
area where Jeff & Co. had the Gull Extravaganza yesterday, arriving about 
Noon. In the wet field they had the Thayer's and Iceland's, there was a 
total of 1 Ring-billed Gull. At one time I did see 2 Ring-billed Gulls in 
the field, but that was the extent of the use. Fish Crows had pretty much 
taken this area over, and on a couple of occasions I did see a lone 
Ring-bill attempt to land in the area, only to be immediately set upon and 
chased off by Fish Crows! There is the largest winter flock of Fish Crows 
that I remember seeing in this area.

There were plenty of gulls in the area though. Nancy Moore and Ed from 
Knoxville pulled up about an hour or so after I arrived, and we birded the 
rest of the afternoon together. The only "goodie" of the day, was a classic 
1st-winter Thayer's that thermalled overhead for several minutes with a 
large group of gulls that had come from the vicinity of the Prison complex. 
Even if there aren't gulls using the field on Proctor City Rd, it is still a 
great location to watch gulls trade back and forth from the fields they were 
using today off of Van Works Rd (next road to the north) and the Prison 
area. I was just sitting here when at least a couple of hundred gulls boiled 
up out of the Prison area, and began to thermal, passing right overhead. The 
Thayer's was seen here.

There were thousands of gulls in the immediate vicinity, but most of which 
there was no vantage to view them, only frustration at a mass of birds that 
you can't do anything with! Late in the afternoon, we had good viewing of 
500+ gulls off of Van Works Rd, but only a handful were larger gulls, and 
nothing that you couldn't squarely place the name "Herring" on. A few Bonies 
made for a nice change of pace from the ever-present Ring-bills. From this 
location on Van Works Rd, you could look around and see 3 other large 
congregations of gulls in the immediate surrounding area. I have no doubt 
that the Iceland's, and no telling what else,  are still around, hopefully 
they'll be picked back up. As I was leaving the area about dusk, I drove 
through a line of gulls several miles long headed towards Reelfoot Lake and 
the roost site. Jeff had told me the roost line-up was an impressive sight, 
but it still took me by surprise!

Otherwise, not much to report. On the trip up, I had a couple of Krider's 
Red-tails (adult & juvenile), but dipped in a quick pass through Hurd Loop 
Rd in Dyer County where Jeff recently had a Rough-legged Hawk. Lapland 
Longspurs were heard from Van Works Rd.

Good birding!!

Mike Todd
McKenzie, TN
Carroll Co.
birder1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.pbase.com/mctodd


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[TN-Bird] Thayer's Yes, Iceland No; Reelfoot Lake area 2/14/05

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