[tn-bird] Western Grebe report

From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 21:20:52 EDT
Sept. 15, 2002
Norris Lake, Grainger Co.
French Broad River, Jefferson, Co.
Rankin Bottoms, Cocke Co. TN.

I birdied with my niece from Knoxville at Roan Mtn. on Saturday and after a 
rainy start on Sunday I called to see if she could take me into Rankin 
Bottoms later that morning. I knew the area had dried up but it seemed a 
sacrilege not to visit Dean's place when I was so near. It looks like I'll 
have to make a trip up there during the season. It did produce some warblers 
in the willows though, 1 Yellow, 2 Magnolia, 2 Common Yellowthroat, 2 
Northern Waterthrush and an Ovenbird.

On the way back north, I caught a shorebird landing on the banks of the river 
at the bridge. It had started to rain but we found a nice group of birds with 
Killdeer, 9 Semipalmated Plover, 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 
Spotted Sandpiper, 8 Sanderling (2 adult and 6 immature), 36 Least Sandpipers 
and 1 Western.

We headed north toward the grebe location with nothing more than a memory of 
two road names and went on some 1 lane roads in places, over hill and dale 
and came in from the south. We had seen no sign of a lake and when I saw the 
small iron bridge with very little water under it, I told Jane I didn't 
believe we had come to the right place yet. I always get a mental picture in 
my head of places that people report and I'm usually always wrong.

I stepped out and saw a Kingfisher and then a small dot way out. Her new 
Ziess scope brought the bird in bright and clear. The Western Grebe sat 
preening in silver waters. We moved up the road and peered through the trees 
for great looks at this displaced bird.

I believe these birds molt before migration and someone mentioned that this 
bird was in an extreme wing molt. Could it be the bird was injured last year 
and has been there through the summer?? Any way you look at it a grand bird 
to put on any year list. Now on to the Smoky's.

Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.


=================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.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
    TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
        jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx      (423) 764-3958
=========================================================
[tn-bird] Western Grebe report

Other related posts:
