[TN-Bird] White Ibis Shelby Co. Thursday 2nd

From: "Gail's Birds" <kings4birds@xxxxxxx>
To: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2012 09:11:45 -0500
Late Thursday afternoon, waders, including 22 WHITE IBIS, were congregating in 
the pools on Riverport Road. At 5:30 p.m. most were in the first one on the 
left, I think that's southeast, as you go towards the pits; shrinking water has 
exposed most of the cypress stumps. By 7:30 birds had moved to the next pool to 
the west, with a big transmission tower in it. Here we could count 22 White 
Ibis, along with 50+ Great Egrets, more than 30 Snowy Egrets, several Little 
Blue Herons (I saw 16 more fly out of there previously), 5 Great Blue Herons, 
and two Green Herons. Jay Walko had seen a Black-crowned Night Heron there 
earlier, but I couldn't relocate it. Also there was a Belted Kingfisher, a 
Least Tern, mallards, a couple of Black-necked Stilts, a Spotted Sandpiper, and 
some shorebirds grouped together on the back edge of the pool. Jeff Wilson was 
going to stay until dark to see where the birds went to roost. Thank you Jay 
for alerting him to the ibis, and to Jeff for the assist, a new bird for my 
Tennessee list!

Over at the pits, shorebirds are everywhere! I didn't spend much time there, 
but a quick scan tempts anyone with dreams of finding a rarity: even though 
there's no water in the biggest lagoon, it was crawling with birds, and groups 
were flying back and forth in every direction. I parked just for a few minutes 
on the raised east/west levee in the middle and could see two Solitary 
Sandpipers close on one side, with some Pectorals around (not to mention a 
mixed group farther off I didn't try to scope), and on the other I spotted a 
lone SANDERLING. I caught a glimpse of two Blue-winged Teal flying in while I 
was looking at all the Wood Ducks in the northwest center pool, that has the 
trees along its western edge. 

The Black-bellied Whistling Ducks alone are enough to keep someone occupied for 
hours down there. One adult sat with her brood in plain sight on one dike; 
these youngsters were still striped and fuzzy, but grown up enough to have the 
duck shape. Pairs were loafing or swimming here and there, groups were flying 
over, whistling as they went. Jeff had an adult lead her newly hatched brood 
out from cover after I left; he thought these had been hatched within the last 
day or two. 

I didn't post it then, but on the 17th I saw a Ruddy Duck in one of those 
center lagoons, and Jeff saw her again yesterday. Weird habitat for a Ruddy! 
Water was deep enough for her to be diving on the 17th; I don't know how she's 
feeding now!

How funny is it that I wish for more time to go down to the pits, blazing hot 
and stinking, when others dream of cooling off in a pool....

Good Birding!

Gail King

5595 Ashley Sq. N.
Memphis,TN 38120



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[TN-Bird] White Ibis Shelby Co. Thursday 2nd

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