[TN-Bird] Three "B" and Upland at Pits
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 23:49:00 EDT
August 27, 2005
MS RV and Ensley
Shelby Co. TN
I started in the rain this AM at the river front, most of this week there
has been very little on the sandbars and today was not much better. The Osprey
that has been fishing there all week may be the problem. Other than the Least
Terns, I saw only a flight of 7 Blue-winged Teal, Killdeer, 1 Spotted
Sandpiper and 2 Sanderling.
At the pits, I met the Ferrells from Birmingham, now anybody that will stand
out in the rain to look at shorebirds is my kind of people;o) The storm had
done its work and we had the pits all to ourselves with more shorebirds than
I've seen all year!
I first found 4 Buff-breasted and then a Baird's Sandpiper for the first two
"B" and later 4 breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plovers fell out of the gray
skies calling their mournful calls and treated us to great looks before
traveling south. I later pick out another Baird's Sandpiper traveling with 3
Pectoral Sandpipers. The first Baird's, a molting adult, has been present in
the
same location for over a week now. An Upland was calling from the pigweed but
it was just too muddy to try to kick it out for a good look.
There were Western Sandpipers in plumages ranging from full BASIC to molted
adults and knock out Juveniles. The varied colors and plumages on the
Semipalmated would keep you entertained for some time, going from gray to deep
brown. Having fresh, brilliantly colored, immature Least and Pectoral
Sandpipers
standing side by side is something you can't get enough of no matter how many
times you are treated. A flight of 9 Lesser Yellowlegs and studies of 2
immature and a single, slightly molted adult Stilt Sandpiper help bring the day
total for Wind Birds to 15 species. After the rain ended the rest of the day
was
perfect for enjoying the birds without the heat of the last weeks.
We had 3 flocks of Black Terns fly slowly by into the wind and at eye level
for a total of 71 birds. At dusk we had 100+ Great Egrets, 3 Little Blues, 1
Snowy and a small flock of Cattle Egrets heading to roost plus a total of 19
Nighthawks.
Besides the morning Osprey we had numerous Red-shouldered Hawks, 1
Broad-wing, Kestrels and a Cooper's. We had a pair of migrant Shoveler Ducks
in with
the resident Mallards.
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN
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