Sylvia and I once saw a similar sized kettle in that same spot. Can't
recall the month, though.
Jud Johnston
Waynesboro, TN
On Sat, May 27, 2023, 3:38 PM Dana Hamilton <stan_dana_h...>
wrote:
> Dana and I had an unexpected treat late this morning on our way back
> through Tuscaloosa from a visit to Holliman Daylilly farm in Gordo. Coming
> back on the Bypass Tollroad between Old Fosters Ferry Road and the
> tollbooth, we had atleast 35 MS Kites flying over the open fields. We had
> no luck turning any of them into Swallowtails.
>
> Certainly the greatest number I’ve seen in May in central Alabama.
>
> Stan Hamilton
> Irondale
>
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/27/23 1:38 pm From: Dana Hamilton <stan_dana_h...> Subject: [ALbirds] Mississippi Kites
Dana and I had an unexpected treat late this morning on our way back through Tuscaloosa from a visit to Holliman Daylilly farm in Gordo. Coming back on the Bypass Tollroad between Old Fosters Ferry Road and the tollbooth, we had atleast 35 MS Kites flying over the open fields. We had no luck turning any of them into Swallowtails.
Certainly the greatest number I’ve seen in May in central Alabama.
Date: 5/25/23 2:54 pm From: Drew Haffenden <andrew...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Qustion about my Willow flycatcher photo
This is a common photo artifact with white/light gray/very light dull yellowish bellied birds. It can occur without leaf reflectance.
Cheers,
Drew Haffenden
________________________________
From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of ToddDeVore via groups.io <devore...>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2023 4:03:36 PM
To: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...>
Subject: [ALbirds] Qustion about my Willow flycatcher photo
I photographed the willow flycatcher today at limestone park, where it was making its usual noise in one of the usual trees near the overlook platform. What surprises me a little looking at it is the amount of yellow that seems to be on the belly. Is that unusual? Just wondering! photos attached.
Date: 5/25/23 2:03 pm From: ToddDeVore <devore...> Subject: [ALbirds] Qustion about my Willow flycatcher photo
I photographed the willow flycatcher today at limestone park, where it was making its usual noise in one of the usual trees near the overlook platform. What surprises me a little looking at it is the amount of yellow that seems to be on the belly. Is that unusual? Just wondering! photos attached.
Date: 5/25/23 1:46 pm From: ToddDeVore <devore...> Subject: [ALbirds] Redheads and Ring neck duck Harrison Lake
The last several days several birders have been reporting a female ring-necked duck at Harrison lake, one of the ducks that pops up as Rare on eBird, along with the resident redhad that is there, and the shovelers that are still there today. Erik Haskell submitted a list yesterday with photos of both a male AND female redhead, and his list stated that "previous reports of a female ring-necked are in error, its a redhead." I saw the duck I am attaching photos of here that was associating here with the male redhead, and I don't think it was the same duck in Eric's submission. It looks more like a female ring-necked than anything else to me. Not really ant white marking just behind the bill, but you can see see a two-toned bill here, some of the ring around the eye, and a faint "spur" where the chest/belly/neck meet. So you all can help settle it, but it seems that there is a ring-necked duck. If there is also a female redhead, it would be very interesting if we ended up with a breeding redhead pair? Would we end up eventually having to list "domestic redheads?" Hmmmm.
Date: 5/24/23 12:47 am From: Bob Reed <bobreed1987...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
Interesting Maine post. Thank you for sharing.
Bob Reed
Tallassee, Alabama
334 283 5886 Home
334 207 0985 Mobile
On Tue, May 23, 2023, 08:29 David George <davidpgeorge50...> wrote:
> After receiving Merlin Philadelphia Vireo hits this spring, I searched
> several times for the bird without success. I usually ended up seeing a
> REVI. Also, occasionally I would play the PHVI song and frequently received
> vigorous responses from REVI. This Maine Bird post seems relevant:
>
>
> https://web.colby.edu/mainebirds/2016/11/28/red-eyed-vireos-and-philadelphia-vireos/ >
> If REVI can’t tell the difference between their song and the PHVI song,
> who are we to weigh in?
>
> D George
>
>
Date: 5/23/23 9:00 am From: Fred Carney via groups.io <carney.fred...> Subject: [ALbirds] Interesting article on Peter Kaestner and his quest for 10,000 birds
What It Takes to See 10,000 Bird Species - Outside Online
Date: 5/23/23 6:29 am From: David George <davidpgeorge50...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
After receiving Merlin Philadelphia Vireo hits this spring, I searched
several times for the bird without success. I usually ended up seeing a
REVI. Also, occasionally I would play the PHVI song and frequently received
vigorous responses from REVI. This Maine Bird post seems relevant:
Date: 5/22/23 7:48 pm From: Drew Haffenden <andrew...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
I was not going to join in but decided to do so. There is extensive talk on this on both user and reviewer ebird chats. I have not used Merlin sound much but have done so more these last 2 weeks while I was in Arizona, surrounded by calls with which I was not familiar. Some birds were ID'd instantly, and were mostly right. Others took longer and the results were a mixed bunch. For some others, even the loudest heard, did not rate a response at all. This was generally in well birded areas. I agree with others that this is a pointing tool by and large at this stage not a stand alone ID tool. All IDs marked as "ID'd by Merlin" without supporting ID should be rejected by Ebird. Of course this will lead to people just not annotating the sighting. Regardless, this will significantly increase the error rate of Ebird, perhaps beyond the ability of algorithms to cope. I already see this with visitors to DI including birds such as titmouse and chickadee on lists, familiar mainland birds that few seek after hearing, even though they are extremely rare on DI and both Mockingbird and Brown-headed Nuthatch have, respectively, very similar calls within their native songs. This error is almost certainly also occurring on the mainland, but with less damage to local species presence surveys.
Cheers,
Drew Haffenden
________________________________
From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> on behalf of Craig Litteken via groups.io <littekenc...>
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2023 11:06:27 AM
To: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...>
Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
I very much agree with Geoff’s comments. I also saw Merlin make the same mistake this spring with RE vireo and Phil vireo. The RE vireo was singing in front of me and Merlin alerted to both species multiple times though the only singing vireo was the RE vireo.
I also saw Merlin alert to Cerulean warbler several times when the singing bird was a Northern Parula. It also alerted to Magnolia warbler when the actual bird was a Chestnut-sided warbler.
Merlin is a tremendous tool, but suggest proceeding with caution when Merlin makes an ID and you are not able to independently verify.
Craig Litteken
Daphne
On May 22, 2023, at 8:02 AM, Geoffrey Hill <hillgee...> wrote:

Hey Alabama birds,
As spring birding is winding down, I wanted to send a comment about use of Merlin, the sound ID app from Cornell. I field tested Merlin extensively for the last 6 months, and I am very impressed. It gets most birds correct every time. But is does make mistakes, and it makes some of the same mistakes over and over. In my experience, the most consistent and important error that Merlin makes in the spring in Alabama is mistaking Red-eyed Vireos for Philadelphia Vireos. I saw this happen at least 30 times this spring (I don’t yet have Philadelphia Vireo on my year list, so I didn’t believe a single event). I know for certain that Merlin was making mistakes because it would switch back and forth from Philadelphia Vireo to Red-eyed Vireo for the SAME INDIVIDUAL Red-eyed Vireo singing in front of me. I was never able to verify a single Merlin-called Philadelphia Vireo. This error did not happen just once, but all the time. All spring. Philadelphia Vireo is a scarce spring migrant, especially in the southern and eastern parts of the state. It should be encountered about as often as other circum-Gulf migrants like Willow Flycatcher and Nashville Warbler. I saw a lot of Philadelphia Vireo reports this spring and hope it wasn’t all Merlin detections. In contrast, I did not catch Merlin making a single mistake with regards to Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo (which are much easier for me to distinguish by ear as well).
I would suggest that birders never enter a bird in eBird that Merlin detected but the observed did not. I think of Merlin as a birding friend who has only been birding for a couple of years but is intense and getting really good really fast. You definitely want to know what your buddy thinks he/she is hearing, but you also definitely want to verify.
Date: 5/22/23 11:58 am From: Lawrence Gardella <lfgardella...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
I will join the chorus, but stress that you don't need to see the bird to
be sure that Merlin was right. If you don't see it, you have to hear it
well enough to know what you are hearing. Merlin helps some there, too.
When it detects the bird a second and third and . . . time, it lights up
where it has listed the species. You know what you have to listen to
carefully and check.
I used to think it was good on vireos. But, in addition to wobbling on
Philadelphias, I have watched it record a Yellow-throated Vireo as a
Blue-headed, but then shift to Yellow-throated. Maybe someday it will say
"no my first call was wrong", but I don't expect that will happen soon.
I have heard eBird call Fish Crows American Crows, which sound quite
different, so I don't get that. I watched it call a Summer Tanager a
Scarlet and then a Summer, but it also has called that bird an American
Robin. But I have also had it detect birds I had not picked up on and been
able to get to see and hear them just because I was using Merlin.
So, a very valuable tool.
Larry Gardella
Daphne
On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 12:29 PM Heath G via groups.io <heathrc3=
<yahoo.com...> wrote:
> Good info. Here are the false hits I’ve noticed:
>
> - Gray Catbird (zoom motor on my camera) frequently
> - Wild Turkey (my backyard chickens) all the time
> - Great Blue Heron (certain small dog barking sounds) sometimes
> - Pileated Woodpecker (helicopter flyover with rotor blade beat cadence
> that must have been close to PIWO drumming) only happened once
>
> William (Heath) Galloway
> Huntsville
>
>
>
>
> On May 22, 2023, at 11:06 AM, Craig Litteken via groups.io <littekenc=
> <yahoo.com...> wrote:
>
> I very much agree with Geoff’s comments. I also saw Merlin make the same
> mistake this spring with RE vireo and Phil vireo. The RE vireo was singing
> in front of me and Merlin alerted to both species multiple times though the
> only singing vireo was the RE vireo.
>
> I also saw Merlin alert to Cerulean warbler several times when the singing
> bird was a Northern Parula. It also alerted to Magnolia warbler when the
> actual bird was a Chestnut-sided warbler.
>
> Merlin is a tremendous tool, but suggest proceeding with caution when
> Merlin makes an ID and you are not able to independently verify.
>
> Craig Litteken
> Daphne
>
>
> On May 22, 2023, at 8:02 AM, Geoffrey Hill <hillgee...> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Hey Alabama birds,
>
> As spring birding is winding down, I wanted to send a comment about use
> of Merlin, the sound ID app from Cornell. I field tested Merlin
> extensively for the last 6 months, and I am very impressed. It gets most
> birds correct every time. But is does make mistakes, and it makes some of
> the same mistakes over and over. In my experience, the most consistent and
> important error that Merlin makes in the spring in Alabama is mistaking
> Red-eyed Vireos for Philadelphia Vireos. I saw this happen at least 30
> times this spring (I don’t yet have Philadelphia Vireo on my year list, so
> I didn’t believe a single event). I know for certain that Merlin was making
> mistakes because it would switch back and forth from Philadelphia Vireo to
> Red-eyed Vireo for the SAME INDIVIDUAL Red-eyed Vireo singing in front of
> me. I was never able to verify a single Merlin-called Philadelphia Vireo.
> This error did not happen just once, but all the time. All spring.
> Philadelphia Vireo is a scarce spring migrant, especially in the southern
> and eastern parts of the state. It should be encountered about as often as
> other circum-Gulf migrants like Willow Flycatcher and Nashville Warbler. I
> saw a lot of Philadelphia Vireo reports this spring and hope it wasn’t all
> Merlin detections. In contrast, I did not catch Merlin making a single
> mistake with regards to Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo (which are much
> easier for me to distinguish by ear as well).
>
> I would suggest that birders never enter a bird in eBird that Merlin
> detected but the observed did not. I think of Merlin as a birding friend
> who has only been birding for a couple of years but is intense and getting
> really good really fast. You definitely want to know what your buddy thinks
> he/she is hearing, but you also definitely want to verify.
>
> Geoff Hill
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> **********************************
>
> Dr. Geoffrey Hill
>
> William P. Molette Professor
>
> Dept. Biological Sciences
>
> 101 Life Sciences Building
>
> 120 W. Samford Ave.
>
> Auburn University
>
> Auburn, AL 36849-5414
>
> ****************************************
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/22/23 10:13 am From: Jim Holmes via groups.io <jfholmes...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
Wow,
I just looked at a couple of eBird maps which clearly highlights the problem. I would strongly recommend that eBird reviewers make Philadelphia Vireo rare for all counties south of Birmingham (excluding Mobile/Baldwin) in spring.
So 37 in 2023 compared to an average of 1/year for the last seven years before Merlin. Now, there are probably more people using eBird this year than in the past but certainly not to this degree, and Philadelphia Vireo can be somewhat secretive in migration but again not to this degree. It was also clear on some of this year's spring records that Merlin was documented as the reason for the identification. Outside of one photographed in Tuscaloosa, eBird has ZERO spring photos of Philadelphia Vireo from Alabama south of Birmingham (outside of Mobile/Baldwin).
This problem is even further highlighted when you zoom in on Lee County where there are 26 records of Philadelphia Vireo this spring compared to two all time (from 1900 - 2021, and these are both probably incorrect). I have never seen a spring Philadelphia Vireo in Lee County and (based on eBird) it does not look like Geoff has either.
Note that Georgia has only THREE records of spring Philadelphia Vireos in eBird in the last 10 years.
Thanks,
Jim
James F. Holmes, MD, MPH
Professor and Executive Vice Chair
Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Davis School of Medicine
Office (916) 734-1533
From: <ALbirds...> <ALbirds...> On Behalf Of Geoffrey Hill via groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 22, 2023 6:03 AM
To: <ALbirds...>
Subject: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
Hey Alabama birds,
As spring birding is winding down, I wanted to send a comment about use of Merlin, the sound ID app from Cornell. I field tested Merlin extensively for the last 6 months, and I am very impressed. It gets most birds correct every time. But is does make mistakes, and it makes some of the same mistakes over and over. In my experience, the most consistent and important error that Merlin makes in the spring in Alabama is mistaking Red-eyed Vireos for Philadelphia Vireos. I saw this happen at least 30 times this spring (I don't yet have Philadelphia Vireo on my year list, so I didn't believe a single event). I know for certain that Merlin was making mistakes because it would switch back and forth from Philadelphia Vireo to Red-eyed Vireo for the SAME INDIVIDUAL Red-eyed Vireo singing in front of me. I was never able to verify a single Merlin-called Philadelphia Vireo. This error did not happen just once, but all the time. All spring. Philadelphia Vireo is a scarce spring migrant, especially in the southern and eastern parts of the state. It should be encountered about as often as other circum-Gulf migrants like Willow Flycatcher and Nashville Warbler. I saw a lot of Philadelphia Vireo reports this spring and hope it wasn't all Merlin detections. In contrast, I did not catch Merlin making a single mistake with regards to Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo (which are much easier for me to distinguish by ear as well).
I would suggest that birders never enter a bird in eBird that Merlin detected but the observed did not. I think of Merlin as a birding friend who has only been birding for a couple of years but is intense and getting really good really fast. You definitely want to know what your buddy thinks he/she is hearing, but you also definitely want to verify.
Geoff Hill
**********************************
Dr. Geoffrey Hill
William P. Molette Professor
Dept. Biological Sciences
101 Life Sciences Building
120 W. Samford Ave.
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849-5414
****************************************
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Date: 5/22/23 6:02 am From: Geoffrey Hill <hillgee...> Subject: [ALbirds] Field tests of Merlin
Hey Alabama birds,
As spring birding is winding down, I wanted to send a comment about use of Merlin, the sound ID app from Cornell. I field tested Merlin extensively for the last 6 months, and I am very impressed. It gets most birds correct every time. But is does make mistakes, and it makes some of the same mistakes over and over. In my experience, the most consistent and important error that Merlin makes in the spring in Alabama is mistaking Red-eyed Vireos for Philadelphia Vireos. I saw this happen at least 30 times this spring (I don’t yet have Philadelphia Vireo on my year list, so I didn’t believe a single event). I know for certain that Merlin was making mistakes because it would switch back and forth from Philadelphia Vireo to Red-eyed Vireo for the SAME INDIVIDUAL Red-eyed Vireo singing in front of me. I was never able to verify a single Merlin-called Philadelphia Vireo. This error did not happen just once, but all the time. All spring. Philadelphia Vireo is a scarce spring migrant, especially in the southern and eastern parts of the state. It should be encountered about as often as other circum-Gulf migrants like Willow Flycatcher and Nashville Warbler. I saw a lot of Philadelphia Vireo reports this spring and hope it wasn’t all Merlin detections. In contrast, I did not catch Merlin making a single mistake with regards to Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo (which are much easier for me to distinguish by ear as well).
I would suggest that birders never enter a bird in eBird that Merlin detected but the observed did not. I think of Merlin as a birding friend who has only been birding for a couple of years but is intense and getting really good really fast. You definitely want to know what your buddy thinks he/she is hearing, but you also definitely want to verify.
Geoff Hill
**********************************
Dr. Geoffrey Hill
William P. Molette Professor
Dept. Biological Sciences
101 Life Sciences Building
120 W. Samford Ave.
Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849-5414
****************************************
Date: 5/21/23 6:42 am From: Lucy & Bob Email <RobertADuncan...> Subject: [ALbirds] American Redstarts
Hi all,
Three days ago we had 3 American Redstarts in our Gulf Breeze yard, rather
late for that species. But that should not have been surprising as we had
just returned from Cuba 11 days before where we had several Redstarts and a
Black & White. The trip, sponsored by Alabama Audubon, was a great success.
We saw 22 of the 26 endemics (three of which do not occur in the areas we
visited), including the Bee Hummingbird, Zapata Wren and Zapata Sparrow.
Date: 5/18/23 1:49 pm From: Lucy & Bob Email <RobertADuncan...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Migrants at Bayfront Park, Daphne, Baldwin County, today
Hi,
Just got Black & White and a gawdy Magnolia. It ain’t over till it’s over!
Bob Duncan
From: <ALbirds...> [mailto:<ALbirds...>] On Behalf Of Lawrence Gardella
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2023 12:26 PM
To: <ALbirds...>
Subject: [ALbirds] Migrants at Bayfront Park, Daphne, Baldwin County, today
This morning I was surprised to hear a singing male American Redstart in the open area at Bayfront Park/Village Point Preserve. When I got down to the trail that parallels the bay, I was even more surprised to hear a singing Chestnut-sided Warbler. I taped its song. When I tried to take a photo, I noticed I had not put the card back in my camera.
I called Allison Graves, and she came and joined me - and brought me a camera card. We were able to relocate one Chestnut-sided Warbler, which did not want to stay out in the open, and get some identifiable photos.
Apparently, there are still migrant warblers flying into the country. The little rain we had yesterday evening may have gotten some of the late migrants to come down at Bayfront/Village Point Preserve and spend the night.
I always love seeing Chestnut-sided Warblers in the spring, when the males are in full glory and looking much sharper than they do in the fall.
Date: 5/18/23 10:25 am From: Lawrence Gardella <lfgardella...> Subject: [ALbirds] Migrants at Bayfront Park, Daphne, Baldwin County, today
This morning I was surprised to hear a singing male American Redstart in the open area at Bayfront Park/Village Point Preserve. When I got down to the trail that parallels the bay, I was even more surprised to hear a singing Chestnut-sided Warbler. I taped its song. When I tried to take a photo, I noticed I had not put the card back in my camera.
I called Allison Graves, and she came and joined me - and brought me a camera card. We were able to relocate one Chestnut-sided Warbler, which did not want to stay out in the open, and get some identifiable photos.
Apparently, there are still migrant warblers flying into the country. The little rain we had yesterday evening may have gotten some of the late migrants to come down at Bayfront/Village Point Preserve and spend the night.
I always love seeing Chestnut-sided Warblers in the spring, when the males are in full glory and looking much sharper than they do in the fall.
Date: 5/16/23 7:44 am From: Greg D. Jackson <g_d_jackson...> Subject: [ALbirds] Limpkin at Dancy Bottoms
Addendum: You reach the south Dancy Bottoms trailhead from Red Bank Road north of Hartselle. Entrance to the parking lot road is just east of the bridge over Flint Creek.
Greg
Begin forwarded message:
> From: "Greg D. Jackson" <g_d_jackson...>
> Date: May 16, 2023 at 9:36:37 AM CDT
> To: ALBIRDS <ALbirds...>
> Subject: [ALbirds] Limpkin at Dancy Bottoms
> Reply-To: <ALbirds...>
>
> 
> AL Birders:
>
> Needing some forest immersion, I did a long walk this morning in Dancy Bottoms at Wheeler NWR. Starting at the south trailhead I walked through to the east trailhead, then to the end of the road. Trail has really been improved, with nice boardwalks over wetlands. On the return at the bridge (with handrails) 0.5 mi north of the south trailhead, I flushed an obvious LIMPKIN which was in the waterside vegetation close to me. It flew a moderate distance but landed on a low branch allowing better looks and some digibin record shots. I hustled back to the car for my camera, but of course the bird had slunk back into the greenery by the time I could return.
>
> Limpkins are clearly increasing in Alabama and other states in the last few years in conjunction with the spread of invasive Asian apple snails, and have appeared several times in the refuge area. I don’t recall reports from this site. What was exciting to me was that this was the first I have found myself in the state.
>
> Greg
>
> Greg D. Jackson
> Birmingham, AL
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/16/23 7:35 am From: Greg D. Jackson <g_d_jackson...> Subject: [ALbirds] Limpkin at Dancy Bottoms
AL Birders:
Needing some forest immersion, I did a long walk this morning in Dancy Bottoms at Wheeler NWR. Starting at the south trailhead I walked through to the east trailhead, then to the end of the road. Trail has really been improved, with nice boardwalks over wetlands. On the return at the bridge (with handrails) 0.5 mi north of the south trailhead, I flushed an obvious LIMPKIN which was in the waterside vegetation close to me. It flew a moderate distance but landed on a low branch allowing better looks and some digibin record shots. I hustled back to the car for my camera, but of course the bird had slunk back into the greenery by the time I could return.
Limpkins are clearly increasing in Alabama and other states in the last few years in conjunction with the spread of invasive Asian apple snails, and have appeared several times in the refuge area. I don’t recall reports from this site. What was exciting to me was that this was the first I have found myself in the state.
Not a big surprise that there are eagles on the Tombigbee River. Just a note that I saw two adults Monday fishing below the spillway on river right. They would count in Sumter County, I think. Local guy said there is a nest over in Sumter County.
Date: 5/7/23 7:12 am From: Ken Wills via groups.io <memontei...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Upland Sandpipers at Oxford
Thanks for the update Greg,
I wished I had seen your post before stopping in Choccolocco Park on my way to Atlanta yesterday. I did see Grasshopper Sparrows, Bobolinks and a female Wilson’s Warbler along the trails. I will check out that back area you described on my way back today and hopefully get lucky with the Upland Sanpipers. What a great park!
Ken Wills
> On May 5, 2023, at 11:10 PM, Greg D. Jackson <g_d_jackson...> wrote:
>
> AL Birders:
>
> Debi and I were heading to Atlanta for a trip, but I managed to squeeze in a few minutes at Choccolocco Park in Oxford. A quick drive-thru yielded great views of four UPLAND SANDPIPERS on the big short-grass field at the back, a scarce bird in the Mountain Region. We had fun watch them walk around like ridiculously small-headed chickens. About a dozen Least Sandpipers were flying about, but we didn’t see other shorebirds beside Killdeer.
>
> Another nice treat was an adult Mississippi Kite circling above the fields. This was my first at this site.
>
> We didn’t have time to get out of the car and explore the beautiful flower-filled fields for breeding Grasshopper Sparrows and Dickcissels. Habitat looks great for Bobolink but we didn’t spot any in our brief visit. Always a fascinating place to stop.
>
> Greg
>
> Greg D. Jackson
> Birmingham, AL
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/6/23 1:15 pm From: Ira Kupferberg <iraandgloria...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Lots of shorebirds at Harrison Lake
white rump sandpipers still there this AM . blue wing teal joined other
ducks. as well as 2 Adult bald eagles.
On Fri, May 5, 2023, 16:42 Ira Kupferberg via groups.io <iraandgloria=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> Geoff,
> Where is this lake ... ie directions.
> Ira Kupferberg
>
> On Fri, May 5, 2023 at 3:48 PM Geoffrey Hill <hillgee...> wrote:
>
>> Hey everyone,
>>
>> Harrison Lake, in Chilton County just south of Maplesville, has the
>> water drawn down with big mudflats exposed, and it is full of shorebirds.
>> There were more than 200 individual shorebirds when I visited this morning
>> with highlight being Upland Sandpiper (which was a flyover and not actually
>> on the mud) and more than a dozen White-rumped Sandpipers. The diversity
>> was not as good as it might as been given the quality of the habitat (few
>> large shorebirds), but this is the sort of spot that could pull in any
>> migrating shorebird.
>>
>> The birds are way in the back of the impoundment, so you have to walk
>> about .25 miles to get close enough for descent scope views.
>>
>> There is also a lingering female Greater Scaup and a lingering pair of
>> Redheads.
>>
>> Geoff Hill, Auburn
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> **********************************
>>
>> Dr. Geoffrey Hill
>>
>> William P. Molette Professor
>>
>> Dept. Biol. Sci.
>>
>> 331 Funchess Hall
>>
>> Auburn University
>>
>> Auburn, AL 36849-5414
>>
>> ****************************************
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
