DEC. 12-13, 2009 Lauderdale Waterfowl Refuge Lauderdale Co. Bogota WMA, Dyer Co. Reelfoot Lake area Lake and Obion Co. TN Lauderdale had a large concentration of waterfowl, 18 species with Cackling and Canada Geese plus Red-breasted added at Reelfoot for 21 species on the weekend. The Red-tails were scattered at Lauderdale including 2 Krider's, 2 light western calurus, 4 Eastern, 3 Harrier and 3 Bald Eagles. All the raptors were gone when I returned Sunday evening, but I'd guess they could not stand the harassment and yammering of 10,000 Crows. At Bogota WMA, I photographed an intermediate morph Harlan's in the same tree as last winter. There were numerous Eastern and Western Red-tails scattered about and 3 Harrier's, all males, I guess the females are still north of us waiting to be pushed by the cold and run the males farther south. In the Reelfoot area, the trees look like someone took a weed whacker to them, we will live with this Ice Storm effect for years, changing habitat and species distribution but not as bad as losing so much habitat due to the drying out of areas during the drought that has allowed extensive timbering and ditching in order to drain large areas of habitat we had birdied for years. Species were scattered and hard to find with just a few Western Meadowlarks, Lapland Longspurs and Least Sandpipers but a Short-eared Owl was seen on Tiptonville Landing Road, so now they have been seen at two of their regular sites. Duck species and numbers were down on the Lake, scattered as shotguns were heard all around with only a few Horned Grebes, 6 White Pelicans plus 2 Common Loons seen. A huge string of Buffleheads were found on the water out from Samburg with 282 in view at one swing of the scope. I relocated the adult LITTLE GULL, Saturday just before roost time and Nancy Moore got there in time for poor and distant looks in the gloom but Sunday I found the bird closer and very active in the east end of the lower lake. I called Nancy again and we enjoyed the bird for over 2 hours but it never took a rest from busily feeding. I spotted a large light gull coming toward us and got Nancy on a huge first winter GLAUCOUS GULL which flew close enough for us to see its black tipped bill. Extreme gulls, from the smallest in the world to one of the largest, in view at the same time. Poor photos of the flying LITTLE GULL starting at: _http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/image/120277898_ (http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/image/120277898) 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. =================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/ MAP RESOURCES Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com _____________________________________________________________