Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Mississippi Birding List > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Monday, August 30 at 09:32 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Fire-backed Bushshrike,©Tony Disley

30 Aug Chickasaw County Buff-Breasted Sandpiper [Wayne Patterson ] 30 Aug Cackler ["delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" ] 30 Aug Right of Way ["Jerry L. Litton" ] 30 Aug to St. Catherine's Creek NWR ["Jerry L. Litton" ] 30 Aug Two coast observations [Ned and Lucy Boyajian ] 30 Aug Sunday Birds [] 30 Aug Sunday Birds [] 30 Aug Really Odd Pectoral Sandpiper [] 30 Aug Really Odd Pectoral Sandpiper [] 29 Aug Tennessee Warbler [Wayne Patterson ] 28 Aug RE: Moving Warblers ["Joan Clarke" ] 28 Aug Moving Warblers ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 28 Aug Re: Mississippi State Bird [Lew Proudfoot ] 28 Aug Tombigbee State Park Area [Wayne Patterson ] 28 Aug Mississippi State Bird ["Jesse Yancy" ] 28 Aug Observation Deck ["Robert Briscoe" ] 28 Aug Strange is ["delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" ] 25 Aug RE: Nighthawks ["Jerry L. Litton" ] 25 Aug Nighthawks ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 25 Aug RE: Access to St. Catherine's Creek NWR [Marion Schiefer ] 24 Aug RE: Mississippi Kites [Barbara Qualls ] 24 Aug Re: Mississippi Kites [Molly Waldrup ] 24 Aug Mississippi Kites [Jack Smith ] 23 Aug American Kestrel ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 22 Aug RE: St. Catherine's Creek NWR ["Jerry L. Litton" ] 22 Aug Bird list from MOS Meeting last weekend--St. Catherine's Creek NWR and Natchez area [Marion Schiefer ] 22 Aug Lee county [Michael Rotter ] 22 Aug Fwd: 8/21: Doddsville, Sunflower Co. shorebirds (Red-necked Phalarope) ["delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" ] 22 Aug St. Catherine's Creek NWR ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 21 Aug inland Black Tern [Zac Loman ] 20 Aug re: St. Catherine's Creek NWR flooded Wednesday with 11 inches of rain [Marion Schiefer ] 20 Aug St. Catherine's Creek NWR flooded Wednesday with 11 inches of rain [Marion Schiefer ] 19 Aug RE: MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR [Marion Schiefer ] 19 Aug Test - please delete [] 16 Aug MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR [] 15 Aug Yellow-throated Warbler ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 13 Aug LBBG [Ned and Lucy Boyajian ] 12 Aug More Avocets ["Rob Heflin" ] 12 Aug Re: Alabama Coastal BirdFest and Fort Morgan banding [] 12 Aug Alabama Coastal BirdFest and Fort Morgan banding [] 10 Aug St. Catherine Creek ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 10 Aug Buff-breasted Sandpiper-A&D Turf Farm ["knights" ] 10 Aug Hawks ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 9 Aug Aberdeen Lock and Dam [Wayne Patterson ] 8 Aug Delta birds ["Rob Heflin" ] 7 Aug Activity ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 7 Aug Request for coastal information [Steve Holzman ] 7 Aug Re: Am. Pipit in August ? [David Whipple ] 7 Aug Am. Pipit in August ? [David Whipple ] 06 Aug Summer Bird Records Due [Terence Schiefer ] 6 Aug Percy Quin State Park 8/6/2010 [David Whipple ] 4 Aug RE: Odonata ["littonsphac" ] 1 Aug Red-headed Woodpeckers ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 1 Aug Birding Crowder Ponds 7/30 [] 31 Jul Odonata ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 31 Jul Odonata ["J. Allen Burrows" ] 1 Aug Re: Ross Barnett Rez Spillway (Rankin/ Madison Co) [] 31 Jul Migrants [Wayne Patterson ] 31 Jul Ross Barnett Rez Spillway (Rankin/ Madison Co) [] 31 Jul RE: Coast phenomena [Lew Proudfoot ] 31 Jul RE: Coast phenomena ["littonsphac" ] 31 Jul Re: Coast phenomena ["Joseph Ravita" ] 31 Jul Re: Coast phenomena ["Joseph Ravita" ] 30 Jul Re: [MISSBIRD] loggerhead shrikes ["delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" ] 30 Jul Coast phenomena [Nick Gault ] 30 Jul Coast List [Ned and Lucy Boyajian ] 30 Jul loggerhead shrikes ["Jesse Yancy" ] 30 Jul RE: Loggerhead Shrikes ["littonsphac" ] 30 Jul Loggerhead Shrikes [Michael Rotter ] 27 Jul Nettleton Hunting and Fishing Club [Wayne Patterson ] 26 Jul Re: Goldfinch [Wayne Patterson ] 26 Jul Goldfinch ["Joan Clarke" ] 25 Jul Chickasaw village Lee county 7.24.2010 [Michael Rotter ] 24 Jul Lee & Chickasaw Co. [Wayne Patterson ] 23 Jul Black Terns [Wayne Patterson ] 21 Jul Black Terns ["delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" ] Subject: Chickasaw County Buff-Breasted Sandpiper From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:32:28 -0700 (PDT) At a private lake in Chickasaw Co. this evening was my first of season Buff-breasted Sandpiper.  Also seen were two Spotted Sandpipers and an adult Bald Eagle.  Photos of the Buff Breasted are at http://www.pbase.com/wpatterson/image/127984022 http://www.pbase.com/wpatterson/image/127984116 Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co. Subject: Cackler From: "delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" <delta_gamekeeper@yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:16:48 -0700 (PDT) Tonight at 7:50 pm while waiting for the resident Canada geese to come to roost, I heard and then saw a cackling goose fly overhead. It was in formation with the much larger giant Canadas so there was no mistaking what it was. The high pitched call was the first clue even before I could see it. Apparently it forgot to return north this spring. Rob Heflin Isola, MS Sent from my HTC Subject: Right of Way From: "Jerry L. Litton" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:38:22 -0500 The other morning I was coming to my office. I took the 49 to 55 fly over to go west. When about a third of the way up and turnig with the road going west a flight of Canada Goose, about twenty of them came from below the horizon on the east side railing, at first angling slightly above the railing and going a little higher by degrees and began flying in my same direction, slightly higher than I and I slowed a little to go their forty-five MPH speed. We tracked along about two-hunded yards about ten feet apart as they then sped down past another railing toward lower elevations and this small elevating event was completed: Simple as it was, I was amazed with the nearness of community, togetherness, flight, grace and beauty. Jerry L. Litton Jerry L. Litton Litton's Plumbing and Heating, Inc. Lightscribe Photography and Publishing, Inc. Narrative of Nature Calendars RepAmerica/ MS 3987 Terry Road Jackson, MS 39212 601 372 1580 601 346 0430 fax. 4jll AT bellsouth.net www.lightscribesource.com www.lightscribephotography.com Subject: to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: "Jerry L. Litton" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:23:12 -0500 I went to SCCNWR to see the results of the 11.5" rainfall. It was considerable. Wildlife Road was still blocked and partially washed out. The water overflow and erosion over this dam was substantial. Cut a hole about the size of half a basket ball court where the overflow occurred. The stain rise line on the trees was about 20 or more feet up in the leaves and over the tops of some. The bayou that seems to have been in the middle of a lot of rain is not named on my maps. The one-lane plant bridge over this creek is north of the refuge entrance on York Road. This bridge has debis deposits on both siderails and along the top of the rails so the water must have rose and flowed over the bridge as much as 12 to 18". That would have side-swept anyone who tried to drive through it. I bet it was roaring through this because the elevation drop, guessing, is about a hundred feet from bridge drive way level to the bottom of the bayou at the outlet bottom. Because of restrictions the flows must have stalled as it crept up and over the dam making a large pool between the ridges. The bayou bottom as I walked from the dam was swept clean so currents must also have been like white-water as it stacked up. Along Cabin Road there was an ozze of silt washed from the bluffs. The depth of the ozz was several inches to a little more than a foot deep. It covered an area and looked like the way snow sheets over debris and leaves on the ground. There were also large chunks of solid material in the ozze, clayballs and accumulations of clay and gravel so flows along this section must have been strong. If you walk this route birding the water continues to flow across Cabin Road with a sheet about or slightly more than a hundred feet wide but only a few inches deep so the release of water out of the bluff side is somewhat controled by the silt compaction and size of the openings that the flows leak from. This wetlands an almost a mile from the parking gate. Mammals: three anterless deer walking and grazing. Finally saw me and stood to watch me about five to eight minutes and I sat on my truck tail-gate to snack on some fruit and nuts, I clapped my hands a couple of times and they walked on, Two feral hogs, young about 100 lbs, was moving and stopping to see what they could find, got pretty close to me before they found me, they also stood to watch for some time, I clapped my hands, they stood and watched, I got out my trusty whisle, blew it and they scampered of, Had a chorus of three or four coyote singing or wailing, sounded more like wailing and it seemed a little irregular since it was mid-day to early afternoon, they were close but I did not see any movment, calls came from the bluffs, I continued to lookback over my sholder for a while, I was on the road, On my way to the SCCNWR: had a fly up from the road side out of some tall grass, it was a hawk, flying almost toward me as I approached to fast trying to get a good look. I wanted to see some red with the other colors the bird wore but didn't, over-all first impressions was Red-tailed, likely a young red-tailed that has a large wing-spead, beak was a bright almost yellow, didn't seem stained from eating another raseon I say a young bird, or a Harlans which the colors best identify according to the books if they come over this way, this was on the Sibley road, The best place I found to watch waders was on Gadwall Road. Driving north you come to an oil well assemble on the right. Turn around and go back just a little way where there is a shallow pool on the east, your left after turning around. Not a lot of diversity but there is a lot of action. Little blue, Snowy Egret and Ibis hunt in this location and really put of a show. Park and wait, they usually return in a short time. Cabin Road: there was a flurry of warbler and woodecker activity along the woods at the edge of the bluffs. The tree canopy is tight so understory is open in many places. There are ditches with water many places and cypress kness are thick in some areas so walking can be difficult where these exist. There are plenty of good places to walk. Staying on the road is easiest however the view space and illunination into the woods is restricted even at mid-day. Binoculars is your best way to see and the walk will be easier. It's common to see the animals listed above and cottom-mouths, golden thread spiders are everywhere as are mosquitoes. Cabin Road is likely the most active wildlifeing and birding opportunity at this refuge. The bluff bottoms are almost flat and sloping down most of the way to the river channel or the lakes along the way, and the hills start immediately going up, up to a hundred feet or more in places with seeps and drains out of the sides. Jerry L. Litton Jerry L. Litton Litton's Plumbing and Heating, Inc. Lightscribe Photography and Publishing, Inc. Narrative of Nature Calendars RepAmerica/ MS 3987 Terry Road Jackson, MS 39212 601 372 1580 601 346 0430 fax. 4jll AT bellsouth.net www.lightscribesource.com www.lightscribephotography.com Subject: Two coast observations From: Ned and Lucy Boyajian <nedlucyboyajian AT bellsouth.net> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:49:43 -0500 Today August 30, 2010 At Washington St. Pier, Bay St Louis. An extremely early Dunlin (Earliest record for the coast is August 26 at Pearl River Marshes in 1977 ) At the Toups Survival Training Course (Logtown) An adult Olive-sided Flycatcher Ned Boyajian Subject: Sunday Birds From: OLCOOT1 AT aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:51:09 EDT Aug. 29, 2010 Memphis, TN Arkabutla Lake, MS Tunica Co. MS A quick run at the Mississippi River, Treatment Plants, TVA Lake produced the same excuses, TOO DRY, TOO WET and TOO HIGH. Too few birds around town so into Mississippi to check on my Odd Pectoral found on Saturday. At Arkabutla Lake a large, very early collection of 126+ Ring-billed Gulls was unexpected. On 6 drained Catfish Ponds at Little Texas and off Fish Lake Road, I counted the following; 130+ immature WHITE IBIS, 150+ SNOWY EGRETS, Great Egrets and Great Blues everywhere plus 112 LEAST TERNS (95% adults as it has been a poor breeding year because of high water) and 3 Black Terns, 96 Northern Shovelers, 19 Ruddy Ducks, 9 Blue-winged Teal, Mallards and a single (right on time for the early movement that passes through and then no more till later in the fall) PINTAIL. Next the Wind Birds; Killdeer++, 42 Semipalmated Plovers (I've seen more this year than ever before), 38 Black-necked Stilts, 7 spotted Sandpipers, 4 Solitary Sandpipers, 16 Greater Yellowlegs, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs (low numbers here this year), 2 MARBLED GODWITS (+ the one in Memphis Saturday - a banner year for me around here), 74 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 2 Western Sandpipers, 1150+ Least Sandpipers, 3 Juvenile. BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 78 Pectoral Sandpipers, 19 Stilt Sandpiper, 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, 9 Short-billed and 1 Long-billed Dowitcher and a single flyby Wilson's Snipe ( I had a single at the North Treatment Plant in Memphis, for my first of season on Saturday) Eighteen species of Wind Birds, not bad for a few hours on a few fish ponds. If it doesn't rain soon all of these will be dry ;o( 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 AT freelists.org. _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request AT freelists.org 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 AT bristolbirdclub.org ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clarksville, TN __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at http://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 _____________________________________________________________ Subject: Sunday Birds From: OLCOOT1 AT aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:51:09 EDT Aug. 29, 2010 Memphis, TN Arkabutla Lake, MS Tunica Co. MS A quick run at the Mississippi River, Treatment Plants, TVA Lake produced the same excuses, TOO DRY, TOO WET and TOO HIGH. Too few birds around town so into Mississippi to check on my Odd Pectoral found on Saturday. At Arkabutla Lake a large, very early collection of 126+ Ring-billed Gulls was unexpected. On 6 drained Catfish Ponds at Little Texas and off Fish Lake Road, I counted the following; 130+ immature WHITE IBIS, 150+ SNOWY EGRETS, Great Egrets and Great Blues everywhere plus 112 LEAST TERNS (95% adults as it has been a poor breeding year because of high water) and 3 Black Terns, 96 Northern Shovelers, 19 Ruddy Ducks, 9 Blue-winged Teal, Mallards and a single (right on time for the early movement that passes through and then no more till later in the fall) PINTAIL. Next the Wind Birds; Killdeer++, 42 Semipalmated Plovers (I've seen more this year than ever before), 38 Black-necked Stilts, 7 spotted Sandpipers, 4 Solitary Sandpipers, 16 Greater Yellowlegs, 7 Lesser Yellowlegs (low numbers here this year), 2 MARBLED GODWITS (+ the one in Memphis Saturday - a banner year for me around here), 74 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 2 Western Sandpipers, 1150+ Least Sandpipers, 3 Juvenile. BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 78 Pectoral Sandpipers, 19 Stilt Sandpiper, 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS, 9 Short-billed and 1 Long-billed Dowitcher and a single flyby Wilson's Snipe ( I had a single at the North Treatment Plant in Memphis, for my first of season on Saturday) Eighteen species of Wind Birds, not bad for a few hours on a few fish ponds. If it doesn't rain soon all of these will be dry ;o( 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. Subject: Really Odd Pectoral Sandpiper From: OLCOOT1 AT aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:54:42 EDT Aug. 28-29, 2010 Little Texas, Tunica Co. Mississippi For those that like shorebirds, here are a few Photos of a mixed up Pectoral Sandpiper seen over the weekend. _http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/odd_pectoral_ (http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/odd_pectoral) 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. Subject: Really Odd Pectoral Sandpiper From: OLCOOT1 AT aol.com Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:54:42 EDT Aug. 28-29, 2010 Little Texas, Tunica Co. Mississippi For those that like shorebirds, here are a few Photos of a mixed up Pectoral Sandpiper seen over the weekend. _http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/odd_pectoral_ (http://www.pbase.com/ol_coot/odd_pectoral) 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 AT freelists.org. _____________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, send email to: tn-bird-request AT freelists.org 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 AT bristolbirdclub.org ------------------------------ Assistant Moderator Andy Jones Cleveland, OH ------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Dave Worley Rosedale, VA -------------------------------- Assistant Moderator Chris O'Bryan Clarksville, TN __________________________________________________________ Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society web site at http://www.tnbirds.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ARCHIVES TN-Bird Net Archives at http://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 _____________________________________________________________ Subject: Tennessee Warbler From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:08:48 -0700 (PDT) Had a very early Tennessee Warbler in Tombigbee State Park this afternoon.  Had a good look at the undertail coverts to make sure it was white, ditto.  Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS Lee Co. Subject: RE: Moving Warblers From: "Joan Clarke" <clarkes AT cablelynx.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:24:24 -0500 Yesterday at Noxubee NWR Doug saw Prothonotaries, White-eyed Vireos, a Black-and-White Warbler, and a female American Redstart. Meanwhile, back at our feeders, the hummingbird migration is on in earnest. The hummers are frantically feeding, aggressively displaying their tails and sharp beaks, and getting highly incensed at each other and the occasional House Finch, wasp or butterfly that also tries to use the feeders. Doug and Joan Clarke Vicksburg -----Original Message----- From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of J. Allen Burrows Sent: Saturday, August 28, 2010 8:17 PM To: Mississippi Birding List Subject: [MISSBIRD] Moving Warblers Saw a Black and White Warbler and a Kentucky Warbler on the same branch this morning. In plain sight at eye level with 6" separating them. Later saw an immature Pine Warbler and an immature Baltimore Oriole. Numerous White-eyed Vireos. This was on the powerline cut west and south of the Waterworks at the end of Laurel Street in Belhaven. LeFluer's Bluff yielded Northern Parula and Prothonotaries with numbers of White-eyed Vireos. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3099 - Release Date: 08/28/10 01:34:00 Subject: Moving Warblers From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:16:59 -0500 Saw a Black and White Warbler and a Kentucky Warbler on the same branch this morning. In plain sight at eye level with 6" separating them. Later saw an immature Pine Warbler and an immature Baltimore Oriole. Numerous White-eyed Vireos. This was on the powerline cut west and south of the Waterworks at the end of Laurel Street in Belhaven. LeFluer's Bluff yielded Northern Parula and Prothonotaries with numbers of White-eyed Vireos. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Re: Mississippi State Bird From: Lew Proudfoot <lewis_s_proudfoot AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:08:38 -0700 (PDT) I'm with you, brother - what a beautiful sight! Lew Proudfoot The Wind in My Face Vancleave, MS --- On Sat, 8/28/10, Jesse Yancy wrote: From: Jesse Yancy Subject: [MISSBIRD] Mississippi State Bird To: "MISSBIRD" Date: Saturday, August 28, 2010, 5:53 PM How about we adopt another state bird? I don't think there's any rule against having two. Let me jump the gun and nominate the Mississippi kite. Jesse Yancy Subject: Tombigbee State Park Area From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:59:38 -0700 (PDT) This morning I saw three species of migrating warblers, a female Canada, a juvenile Magnolia, and a juvenile Chestnut-sided. Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co. Subject: Mississippi State Bird From: "Jesse Yancy" <jlyancy AT comcast.net> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:53:03 -0500 How about we adopt another state bird? I don't think there's any rule against having two. Let me jump the gun and nominate the Mississippi kite. Jesse Yancy Subject: Observation Deck From: "Robert Briscoe" <robertb AT dixie-net.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:10:00 -0500 Someone has constructed a very nice observation deck at the Sardis Wildlife Refuge. They may not be finished because the gate was locked. I hope they will open the gate soon. This will be a good place to look across the lake for birds. Robert Briscoe 53 CR 327 Oxford Ms 38655 robertb AT dixie-net.com Subject: Strange is From: "delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" <delta_gamekeeper@yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 05:40:46 -0700 (PDT) Seeing a least sandpiper standing beside a giant Canada goose. It's like parking a paper airplane beside a B-52. Rob Heflin Isola, MS Sent from my HTC Subject: RE: Nighthawks From: "Jerry L. Litton" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:25:11 -0500 I think Nighthawks start to leave about the time bugs quite flying about dusk, then they follow declining bug populations at dusk going south trying to avoid gaps in the supply chain. Nighthawks are seen hunting over lights but not usually if temperatures are below the tolerance of night flying bugs and critters. Kettling up is just another big party as long as there is bugs to eat and water to drink, what's soaring if there isn't some good eating like whats a beach party without drink and burgers, unless it gets to darn cold for shorts, tee-shirts and flip-flops. Kettling night-hawks may be another way to say active and mature food chain available and some social exchange before the long flight to the beach cottage on the other side of the equator where there is bugs and critters, water and warm winds to soar in. Jerry L. Litton Jackson MS -----Original Message----- From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of J. Allen Burrows Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 6:18 PM To: Mississippi Birding List Subject: [MISSBIRD] Nighthawks I'm still hearing Common Nighthawks in the morning in Jackson MS. The Mississippi Kites don't act like they're going anywhere despite the reports I have heard of them kettling up in other areas. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Nighthawks From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:18:03 -0500 I'm still hearing Common Nighthawks in the morning in Jackson MS. The Mississippi Kites don't act like they're going anywhere despite the reports I have heard of them kettling up in other areas. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: RE: Access to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: Marion Schiefer <marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:37:43 -0500 just posting this to MISSBIRD for Bob Strader at St. Catherine's Creek NWR - see his message below To: marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com Subject: Access to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: Bob_Strader AT fws.gov Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:42:27 -0500 Flood waters have receded and roads are reopened at St. Catherine Creek NWR. Bob Strader Project Leader St. Catherine Creek NWR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 76 Pintail Lane Natchez, MS 39120 (601) 442-6696 bob_strader AT fws.gov Marion Schiefer 08/19/2010 06:06 PM To cc , Bill McGehee Subject RE: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR As Martha has said, the birds we were able to see on the MOS field trip last Saturday morning - and on into the afternoon for some of us - and then again at the end of the day for the "roost-watch" for most of us - were worth braving the hot temperatures and humid conditions. Many thanks to the refuge manager, other employees there and some volunteers at the refuge for leading us and "carting" us around on the sometimes muddy roads, and to Bill and Dottie McGehee in Natchez for making our arrangements for the weekend. We were very lucky I think to have a fairly nice day before all of the rain started that they have gotten in that area this week. I hope some others of you will be able to go while all of the Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibises, Plegadis Ibises, Neotropic Cormorants, and all of the other birds are still there. It really is a sight to see - you may need to make arrangements with refuge people to go on the roads, however, since the rains of the past few days. We will try to get a complete list of bird species seen during the MOS meeting on MISSBIRD and on the MOS website sometime this weekend. In case any of you should go to Natchez and to the refuge this weekend, you might also want to look for INCA DOVES near the Fat Mama's Tamales restaurant on Canal Street near the river. Jake and Allison Walker reported seeing two there on Sunday night. Marion Schiefer Starkville > From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu > To: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu > CC: bob_strader AT fws.gov > Subject: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR > Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:57:57 -0500 > > Missbirders, > > We enjoyed a spectacular display of thousands of Wood Storks, Roseate > Spoonbills, Great and Snowy Egrets, Double-crested and Neotropic > Cormorants, Black-necked Stilts and many other shorebird species > Saturday on the field trip of the Mississippi Ornithological Society. > I'm sure a more detailed report will be posted later, but I wanted to > post this message quickly to encourage everyone to plan to visit this > amazing place while the show is still on. Don't miss it! > > Martha > > > > > Subject: RE: Mississippi Kites From: Barbara Qualls <bqualls AT umc.edu> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:18:47 -0500 Hello Missbirders, So, it appears that the raptors are in migration- during daylight hours. With the full moon, would shorebirds be what is seen migrating at night at this time of year? I've never been able to ID high-flying migrants that I see crossing the face of the moon. It's really fast- just a glimpse. Even with videotaping the moon, and then reviewing it on a full TV screen... Barbara Jackson, MS Individuals who have received this information in error or are not authorized to receive it must promptly return or dispose of the information and notify the sender. Those individuals are hereby notified that they are strictly prohibited from reviewing, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing or using this information in any way. Subject: Re: Mississippi Kites From: Molly Waldrup <mollyk48 AT bellsouth.net> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:06:58 -0700 (PDT) I have been seeing them in the Madison area since mid-July.  Wonderful bird to watch! --- On Tue, 8/24/10, Jack Smith wrote: From: Jack Smith Subject: [MISSBIRD] Mississippi Kites To: MISSBIRD AT willow.olemiss.edu Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 12:31 PM The Mississippi Kites were busy this morning.  We saw 10 at one time and there appeared to be several different groups here in Saucier, MS.                       Sarajane & Jack Smith Subject: Mississippi Kites From: Jack Smith <pawjack2 AT bellsouth.net> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 10:31:05 -0700 (PDT) The Mississippi Kites were busy this morning.  We saw 10 at one time and there appeared to be several different groups here in Saucier, MS.                       Sarajane & Jack Smith Subject: American Kestrel From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:54:38 -0500 Sitting on a powerline in Holmes County today. I thought I saw him last week but needed a better view. First of Fall. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: RE: St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: "Jerry L. Litton" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:16:02 -0500 On the gravel road right above Swamp Road I photographed a Cane-brake Rattlesnake a couple years ago. It hung around about twenty minutes in the road and on a bank-cut side that was about 8' from the road base to the top and I got good looks and some decent photos however the light was shadowy. He crawled around, over and amoung debris, poison ivy, other weeds, root tunnels and into some cavities in the bank and finally went over the top. I had to walk a ways to get on top of the bank that I could climb then come back to where it had slide over but did not find it again. Their camouflage is so good I probably walked over it. It had the dynamic patterned light dark cross-hatch and other colors mixed in in less substantial amounts except for the short section right before the rattlers, on this one was luminous blue and it had ten rattles which it never twitched but it did carry them elevated when it crawled. He hardly paid any attention to me as I moved around for position. It never turned its head or eye toward me so I don't know what peripheral perspective it has. I think the trick is that I stayed low to the ground, tripod as short as it closes, me on my knees and I did not force the animal, I allowed it and this technique works for frogs and turtles and this time for this Cane-brake. Oh yea it's also worked on Cottonmouths, bee swarms, wasp nest and I haven't got brave enough to test hornets with this technique. I used a 100-400 telephoto lens and from four or five feet with an extention tube for nearness I got great views of its length but did not get a chance at a good eye and head photo and didn't chance getting to the truck to get another lens. My guess is the rattler was about 52" long and around about the size of a three inch drain pipe. Head was about 2" wide and 1 1/2" from its mouth front to behind the jaw formation where the deep indention is to its body/neck where it then grows big suddenly, and distance between eyes about 1 3/4", you know how the jaw bones on a Cane-brake stick out some when they smile. Big as it was I bet its still there. Did you see it? When I received the email from Mr. Strader about the wash-out I emailed him about that. Did you see anything interesting in the gully cuts and bank sloughing? I may go down this week to take a look. If I get any good looks at birds I'll report it. St. Catherine's is a really great place. Oh yea most any call maker works great down there and I don't believe it is prohibited. Coyote and feral hogs will occasionally respond so watch your back side. Great report JAB. Jerry L. Litton Jerry L. Litton Litton's Plumbing and Heating, Inc. Lightscribe Photography and Publishing, Inc. Narrative of Nature Calendars RepAmerica/ MS 3987 Terry Road Jackson, MS 39212 601 372 1580 601 346 0430 fax. 4jll AT bellsouth.net www.lightscribesource.com www.lightscribephotography.com _____ From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of J. Allen Burrows Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 12:14 PM To: Mississippi Birding List Subject: [MISSBIRD] St. Catherine's Creek NWR After being stirred to our very marrow by the reports from last week's MOS ventures at St. Catherine's my unnamed birding companion (not female, not Argentinian) and I swooped over to Louisiana to go birding. But on the way back we felt the need for Fat Mama's Tamales and decided to return by way of Natchez. Henceforth, our lives will always be shaped by the venturesome doings of Jake Walker. There were no Inca Doves and I do not recommend Tamales for their digestibility. Nor is eating a copious number of them a substitute for their lack of dietary fiber. While the Tamales were very tasty it is important to note that Natchez has many one way streets. Then, despite the ominous reports we sallied southward to see what all the fuss was about. Roads are indeed closed on the Refuge but we hiked the Magnolia Trail and were rewarded by a Bell's Vireo. Knowing that I may as well state that we were abducted by aliens and closely examined in their ship I will try to supply some detail to provide verisimilitude to a doubting public. I can imagine some of your startled responses, JW "Why drag me into this?" JL (abbreviated version) "KNow dout dem boise was smokin burmuda grass and what are kids and old min dcoming to thees days and the world is going ot hail in a ham basket and what am i supposed to do with all thes left over commas? whats a spel czech?" RH "Everybody knows you're not supposed to eat more than the prescribed one dozen tamales" MS "More spurious reports of doubtful veracity and insufficient independent verification" Below I confidently provide an exact transcription of our notes which I wrote down two hours after the fact Me, "Pond on Magnolia Hiking Trail, Near blind about twenty feet off the ground. Fairly active, In Muscadine vines with other birds, Impression of spectacles, white. But more the feeling of eye-rings. Dark eyes, not white irises. Yellow underparts, Overall yellowish olive with grayer on the back. Wing bars or wing bar, Call exact match for birdjams. Strangled White-eyed Vireo with no tchk AT beginning or end." Unnamed birding companion "Softer slurred call, faint wing bar. Yellow on flanks, buttery. Very similar to the White-eyed Vireo but no yellow spectacles, whitish around the eyes. Drab grayish on the back. Maybe not "drab" but not bright colors. Vocalizations exactly matched bird pod. Burry quality." Let it be noted that I did not get as good a look at the bird because, as is most often the case, I was moving reading glasses on and off my face, writing down the other birds we had seen, putting up my notebook and pen while simultaneously taking out Sibley's and said bird pod. It is sort of an interpretive dance that the birds usually interpret as there opportunity to leave. Let the record show that I am entirely unclear on the legal status of the use of recordings in a NWR (I know I would be against it) and I hope that Bob Strader does not have to take time away from road repair to come arrest me. Let the recriminations, questions and ad hominum attacks begin. I will add that it was obviously a Vireo. It responded only slightly to the bird pod. It matched the picture in the Sibley's and my anonymous cohort got several good long looks at it. We compared it point by point but quickly with every other known Vireo because we were looking hard (in the wrong place) for Warbling Vireo which I heard there last year. The song is distinctive. We were about twenty five feet away. On the other hand, we asked permission of one of the employees there on site and took a refreshingly brisk walk down the "closed to vehicles" swamp road in the warmth of the late afternoon sun. We were rewarded richly. I present eBird lists below. Location: St Catherine Creek NWR--Magnolia Trail Observation date: 8/21/10 Number of species: 24 Wood Duck 24 Blue-winged Teal 1 Anhinga 1 Wood Stork 3 Black Vulture 21 Mississippi Kite 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 4 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 3 Acadian Flycatcher 3 White-eyed Vireo 1 Bell's Vireo 1 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 23 Carolina Chickadee 6 Tufted Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 1 Prothonotary Warbler 1 Eastern Towhee 1 Summer Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 4 Indigo Bunting 24 Location: St. Catherine's Creek NWR--Swamp Road Observation date: 8/21/10 Number of species: 28 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 14 Little Blue Heron 2 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 9 White Ibis 5 Roseate Spoonbill 7 Wood Stork 249 Mississippi Kite 2 Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern) 1 Killdeer 2 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Long-billed Dowitcher 5 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 Barred Owl 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Blue Jay 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 14 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Brown Thrasher 1 American Redstart 1 Eastern Towhee 2 Summer Tanager 2 Indigo Bunting 3 Orchard Oriole 7 House Sparrow 8 Subject: Bird list from MOS Meeting last weekend--St. Catherine's Creek NWR and Natchez area From: Marion Schiefer <marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:00:34 -0500 Here is the list of bird species from the Miss. Ornithological Society Meeting in the Natchez area Aug. 13-15: Canada Goose Wood Duck Mottled Duck Blue-winged Teal Wild Turkey American White Pelican Neotropic Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Anhinga Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron White Ibis White-faced Ibis Roseate Spoonbill Wood Stork Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Mississippi Kite Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Black-necked Stilt Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper Western Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson’s Phalarope Least Tern Forster’s Tern Rock Pigeon Eurasian Collared-Dove Mourning Dove Inca Dove Yellow-billed Cuckoo Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Belted Kingfisher Red-headed Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Loggerhead Shrike White-eyed Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Fish Crow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse Carolina Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher European Starling Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Pine Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Kentucky Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Summer Tanager Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Northern Cardinal Blue Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole House Sparrow Total Species: 104 Marion Schiefer Starkville Subject: Lee county From: Michael Rotter <mjrotter AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:03:52 -0500 Last weekend I had a string of MS kites overhead in the SW corner of Tupelo over a wooded field. This was a first for the list for me. Otherwise my birding has been light and nothing that note worthy. Subject: Fwd: 8/21: Doddsville, Sunflower Co. shorebirds (Red-necked Phalarope) From: "delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" <delta_gamekeeper@yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:30:53 -0700 (PDT) Sent from my HTC ----- Forwarded message ----- From: "Michael G. Harvey" Date: Sun, Aug 22, 2010 11:59 Subject: 8/21: Doddsville, Sunflower Co. shorebirds (Red-necked Phalarope) To: Rob, I am not subscribed to the Mississippi birding list, but thought this report may be of interest. I would be grateful if you could forward it to the list. Thanks! All, I spent several hours yesterday (8/21) trying to find some catfish ponds with appropriate water levels for migrant shorebirds. The best spot by far was a set of catfish ponds SE of Doddsville in Sunflower County. Here, a series of ponds with varying amounts of exposed mud and shallow water were host to phenomenal numbers of ducks and shorebirds. Most shorebirds (e.g. 95% of the Least Sandpipers) were adults. To reach the ponds, follow Route 442 E from Doddsville a few miles, then take a right (S) on County Road 120. In less than a mile, you will start to see ponds (and hopefully birds) to your right, on the W side of the road. Complete list from the Doddsville ponds: Mallard (95) Blue-winged Teal (635) possible CINNAMON TEAL (1; rare; this bird was associated with 500+ Blue-winged Teal; most obvious was its very rufous breast and belly and reddish neck and face; the face pattern was relatively less bold than the adjacent Blue-wings, lacking the pale spot at the base of the bill and eye ring, but still sporting a rather noticeable eye line; I tried to approach for better looks and photos, but the flock took off before I could; due to the distance to the bird during observation and the possibility of an iron-stained Blue-winged, it would be nice to get confirmation) Northern Shoveler (285) REDHEAD (1: unseasonal; eclipse male) Ruddy Duck (43) Pied-billed Grebe (36) Double-crested Cormorant (1) Great Blue Heron (210) Great Egret (1500) Snowy Egret (530) Little Blue Heron (5) White Ibis (1) Turkey Vulture (5) American Coot (7) Semipalmated Plover (17) Killdeer (875) Black-necked Stilt (470) American Avocet (115) Spotted Sandpiper (4) Solitary Sandpiper (1) Greater Yellowlegs (28) Lesser Yellowlegs (170) Semipalmated Sandpiper (240) Western Sandpiper (365) Least Sandpiper (5500) Pectoral Sandpiper (15) Stilt Sandpiper (230) Long-billed Dowitcher (350) Short-billed Dowitcher (3) Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher (240) Wilson's Phalarope (8) RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (1: rare; juvenile; photographed; associating with two of the Wilson's Phalaropes; feeding actively by spinning in water) Least Tern (405) Black Tern (13) Forster's Tern (1) Mourning Dove (15) Tree Swallow (800) Bank Swallow (500) Barn Swallow (5) Cliff Swallow (25) Northern Mockingbird (1) Northern Cardinal (3) Dickcissel (1) Red-winged Blackbird (50) Afterward, I checked a few other spots. The ponds E of Moorhead that were so good last year were devoid of birds. There were small numbers of birds around some new ponds along County Road 546 NW of Itta Bena, a single RUDDY TURNSTONE being the highlight. Mike Harvey mharve9 AT lsu.edu Subject: St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:13:39 -0500 After being stirred to our very marrow by the reports from last week's MOS ventures at St. Catherine's my unnamed birding companion (not female, not Argentinian) and I swooped over to Louisiana to go birding. But on the way back we felt the need for Fat Mama's Tamales and decided to return by way of Natchez. Henceforth, our lives will always be shaped by the venturesome doings of Jake Walker. There were no Inca Doves and I do not recommend Tamales for their digestibility. Nor is eating a copious number of them a substitute for their lack of dietary fiber. While the Tamales were very tasty it is important to note that Natchez has many one way streets. Then, despite the ominous reports we sallied southward to see what all the fuss was about. Roads are indeed closed on the Refuge but we hiked the Magnolia Trail and were rewarded by a Bell's Vireo. Knowing that I may as well state that we were abducted by aliens and closely examined in their ship I will try to supply some detail to provide verisimilitude to a doubting public. I can imagine some of your startled responses, JW "Why drag me into this?" JL (abbreviated version) "KNow dout dem boise was smokin burmuda grass and what are kids and old min dcoming to thees days and the world is going ot hail in a ham basket and what am i supposed to do with all thes left over commas? whats a spel czech?" RH "Everybody knows you're not supposed to eat more than the prescribed one dozen tamales" MS "More spurious reports of doubtful veracity and insufficient independent verification" Below I confidently provide an exact transcription of our notes which I wrote down two hours after the fact Me, "Pond on Magnolia Hiking Trail, Near blind about twenty feet off the ground. Fairly active, In Muscadine vines with other birds, Impression of spectacles, white. But more the feeling of eye-rings. Dark eyes, not white irises. Yellow underparts, Overall yellowish olive with grayer on the back. Wing bars or wing bar, Call exact match for birdjams. Strangled White-eyed Vireo with no tchk AT beginning or end." Unnamed birding companion "Softer slurred call, faint wing bar. Yellow on flanks, buttery. Very similar to the White-eyed Vireo but no yellow spectacles, whitish around the eyes. Drab grayish on the back. Maybe not "drab" but not bright colors. Vocalizations exactly matched bird pod. Burry quality." Let it be noted that I did not get as good a look at the bird because, as is most often the case, I was moving reading glasses on and off my face, writing down the other birds we had seen, putting up my notebook and pen while simultaneously taking out Sibley's and said bird pod. It is sort of an interpretive dance that the birds usually interpret as there opportunity to leave. Let the record show that I am entirely unclear on the legal status of the use of recordings in a NWR (I know I would be against it) and I hope that Bob Strader does not have to take time away from road repair to come arrest me. Let the recriminations, questions and ad hominum attacks begin. I will add that it was obviously a Vireo. It responded only slightly to the bird pod. It matched the picture in the Sibley's and my anonymous cohort got several good long looks at it. We compared it point by point but quickly with every other known Vireo because we were looking hard (in the wrong place) for Warbling Vireo which I heard there last year. The song is distinctive. We were about twenty five feet away. On the other hand, we asked permission of one of the employees there on site and took a refreshingly brisk walk down the "closed to vehicles" swamp road in the warmth of the late afternoon sun. We were rewarded richly. I present eBird lists below. Location: St Catherine Creek NWR--Magnolia Trail Observation date: 8/21/10 Number of species: 24 Wood Duck 24 Blue-winged Teal 1 Anhinga 1 Wood Stork 3 Black Vulture 21 Mississippi Kite 2 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 4 Red-bellied Woodpecker 1 Downy Woodpecker 3 Acadian Flycatcher 3 White-eyed Vireo 1 Bell's Vireo 1 Blue Jay 4 American Crow 23 Carolina Chickadee 6 Tufted Titmouse 1 Carolina Wren 4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 Northern Mockingbird 1 Prothonotary Warbler 1 Eastern Towhee 1 Summer Tanager 3 Northern Cardinal 4 Indigo Bunting 24 Location: St. Catherine's Creek NWR--Swamp Road Observation date: 8/21/10 Number of species: 28 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 14 Little Blue Heron 2 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 9 White Ibis 5 Roseate Spoonbill 7 Wood Stork 249 Mississippi Kite 2 Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern) 1 Killdeer 2 Spotted Sandpiper 4 Long-billed Dowitcher 5 Yellow-billed Cuckoo 3 Barred Owl 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 2 Blue Jay 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 14 Carolina Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4 Brown Thrasher 1 American Redstart 1 Eastern Towhee 2 Summer Tanager 2 Indigo Bunting 3 Orchard Oriole 7 House Sparrow 8 Subject: inland Black Tern From: Zac Loman <zac206 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:03:09 -0700 (PDT) Hello Missbirders!Today my fellow new graduate student lab mates at MSU and I went to Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge outside of Starkville to look for the characteristic pine savanna species (we were successful), however somewhat more unexpected was a single basic plumaged Black Tern at Bluff Lake near the heron rookery.  I'm new here so it may not be anything too remarkable, but eBird shows no records for a huge swath of the state away from the coast and the Mississippi alluvial valley.Good Birding,Zac Loman Subject: re: St. Catherine's Creek NWR flooded Wednesday with 11 inches of rain From: Marion Schiefer <marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:24:53 -0500 can someone who is also on the Louisiana bird listserve please post this message about roads closed at St. Catherine's on the Louisiana listserve also? There were some people from Louisiana with plans to visit the refuge this weekend. Thanks, Marion From: marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com To: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu Subject: [MISSBIRD] St. Catherine's Creek NWR flooded Wednesday with 11 inches of rain Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:11:11 -0500 not sure if Bob Strader's message was successfully posted to MISSBIRD so I am forwarding below - most of their roads have had to be closed because of flood damage: To: marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com CC: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu; msdwmc AT aol.com Subject: RE: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: Bob_Strader AT fws.gov Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:54:20 -0500 Thank you Marion and Martha for your kind words. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit by MOS and sharing our incredible bird life and viewing opportunities. Bill McGehee and I were worried that the Mississippi River might not cooperate by receding from unusual high river stages for this time of the year to allow water management and good habitat for all of the wading and shorebirds. Fortunately, everything worked out well. I think you may have hit the peak for wading birds. For those who have not kept up with the relatively local weather events this past week, Sibley, MS, and the Refuge received 11.5 inches of rain on Wednesday (Aug 18). Nine inches of rain fell between 6 am and 11 am. Water rushing out of the hills in a flash flood event caused extensive damage to roads and a number of structures. Access to the Magnolia Trail remains open but most of the rest of the roads, including those used to access the Sibley Impoundments (where we spent last weekend) and Butler Lake are closed pending major repair. They will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Be sure to call before you try to venture out to the refuge. Please share this note with MOS members and the Mississippi and Louisiana birding community. Thanks. Bob Strader Project Leader St. Catherine Creek NWR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 76 Pintail Lane Natchez, MS 39120 (601) 442-6696 bob_strader AT fws.gov Marion Schiefer 08/19/2010 06:06 PM To cc , Bill McGehee Subject RE: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR As Martha has said, the birds we were able to see on the MOS field trip last Saturday morning - and on into the afternoon for some of us - and then again at the end of the day for the "roost-watch" for most of us - were worth braving the hot temperatures and humid conditions. Many thanks to the refuge manager, other employees there and some volunteers at the refuge for leading us and "carting" us around on the sometimes muddy roads, and to Bill and Dottie McGehee in Natchez for making our arrangements for the weekend. We were very lucky I think to have a fairly nice day before all of the rain started that they have gotten in that area this week. I hope some others of you will be able to go while all of the Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibises, Plegadis Ibises, Neotropic Cormorants, and all of the other birds are still there. It really is a sight to see - you may need to make arrangements with refuge people to go on the roads, however, since the rains of the past few days. We will try to get a complete list of bird species seen during the MOS meeting on MISSBIRD and on the MOS website sometime this weekend. In case any of you should go to Natchez and to the refuge this weekend, you might also want to look for INCA DOVES near the Fat Mama's Tamales restaurant on Canal Street near the river. Jake and Allison Walker reported seeing two there on Sunday night. Marion Schiefer Starkville > From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu > To: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu > CC: bob_strader AT fws.gov > Subject: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR > Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:57:57 -0500 > > Missbirders, > > We enjoyed a spectacular display of thousands of Wood Storks, Roseate > Spoonbills, Great and Snowy Egrets, Double-crested and Neotropic > Cormorants, Black-necked Stilts and many other shorebird species > Saturday on the field trip of the Mississippi Ornithological Society. > I'm sure a more detailed report will be posted later, but I wanted to > post this message quickly to encourage everyone to plan to visit this > amazing place while the show is still on. Don't miss it! > > Martha > > > > > Subject: St. Catherine's Creek NWR flooded Wednesday with 11 inches of rain From: Marion Schiefer <marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:11:11 -0500 not sure if Bob Strader's message was successfully posted to MISSBIRD so I am forwarding below - most of their roads have had to be closed because of flood damage: To: marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com CC: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu; msdwmc AT aol.com Subject: RE: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: Bob_Strader AT fws.gov Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:54:20 -0500 Thank you Marion and Martha for your kind words. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit by MOS and sharing our incredible bird life and viewing opportunities. Bill McGehee and I were worried that the Mississippi River might not cooperate by receding from unusual high river stages for this time of the year to allow water management and good habitat for all of the wading and shorebirds. Fortunately, everything worked out well. I think you may have hit the peak for wading birds. For those who have not kept up with the relatively local weather events this past week, Sibley, MS, and the Refuge received 11.5 inches of rain on Wednesday (Aug 18). Nine inches of rain fell between 6 am and 11 am. Water rushing out of the hills in a flash flood event caused extensive damage to roads and a number of structures. Access to the Magnolia Trail remains open but most of the rest of the roads, including those used to access the Sibley Impoundments (where we spent last weekend) and Butler Lake are closed pending major repair. They will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Be sure to call before you try to venture out to the refuge. Please share this note with MOS members and the Mississippi and Louisiana birding community. Thanks. Bob Strader Project Leader St. Catherine Creek NWR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 76 Pintail Lane Natchez, MS 39120 (601) 442-6696 bob_strader AT fws.gov Marion Schiefer 08/19/2010 06:06 PM To cc , Bill McGehee Subject RE: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR As Martha has said, the birds we were able to see on the MOS field trip last Saturday morning - and on into the afternoon for some of us - and then again at the end of the day for the "roost-watch" for most of us - were worth braving the hot temperatures and humid conditions. Many thanks to the refuge manager, other employees there and some volunteers at the refuge for leading us and "carting" us around on the sometimes muddy roads, and to Bill and Dottie McGehee in Natchez for making our arrangements for the weekend. We were very lucky I think to have a fairly nice day before all of the rain started that they have gotten in that area this week. I hope some others of you will be able to go while all of the Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibises, Plegadis Ibises, Neotropic Cormorants, and all of the other birds are still there. It really is a sight to see - you may need to make arrangements with refuge people to go on the roads, however, since the rains of the past few days. We will try to get a complete list of bird species seen during the MOS meeting on MISSBIRD and on the MOS website sometime this weekend. In case any of you should go to Natchez and to the refuge this weekend, you might also want to look for INCA DOVES near the Fat Mama's Tamales restaurant on Canal Street near the river. Jake and Allison Walker reported seeing two there on Sunday night. Marion Schiefer Starkville > From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu > To: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu > CC: bob_strader AT fws.gov > Subject: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR > Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:57:57 -0500 > > Missbirders, > > We enjoyed a spectacular display of thousands of Wood Storks, Roseate > Spoonbills, Great and Snowy Egrets, Double-crested and Neotropic > Cormorants, Black-necked Stilts and many other shorebird species > Saturday on the field trip of the Mississippi Ornithological Society. > I'm sure a more detailed report will be posted later, but I wanted to > post this message quickly to encourage everyone to plan to visit this > amazing place while the show is still on. Don't miss it! > > Martha > > > > > Subject: RE: MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: Marion Schiefer <marion_schiefer AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:06:31 -0500 As Martha has said, the birds we were able to see on the MOS field trip last Saturday morning - and on into the afternoon for some of us - and then again at the end of the day for the "roost-watch" for most of us - were worth braving the hot temperatures and humid conditions. Many thanks to the refuge manager, other employees there and some volunteers at the refuge for leading us and "carting" us around on the sometimes muddy roads, and to Bill and Dottie McGehee in Natchez for making our arrangements for the weekend. We were very lucky I think to have a fairly nice day before all of the rain started that they have gotten in that area this week. I hope some others of you will be able to go while all of the Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibises, Plegadis Ibises, Neotropic Cormorants, and all of the other birds are still there. It really is a sight to see - you may need to make arrangements with refuge people to go on the roads, however, since the rains of the past few days. We will try to get a complete list of bird species seen during the MOS meeting on MISSBIRD and on the MOS website sometime this weekend. In case any of you should go to Natchez and to the refuge this weekend, you might also want to look for INCA DOVES near the Fat Mama's Tamales restaurant on Canal Street near the river. Jake and Allison Walker reported seeing two there on Sunday night. Marion Schiefer Starkville > From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu > To: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu > CC: bob_strader AT fws.gov > Subject: [MISSBIRD] MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR > Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:57:57 -0500 > > Missbirders, > > We enjoyed a spectacular display of thousands of Wood Storks, Roseate > Spoonbills, Great and Snowy Egrets, Double-crested and Neotropic > Cormorants, Black-necked Stilts and many other shorebird species > Saturday on the field trip of the Mississippi Ornithological Society. > I'm sure a more detailed report will be posted later, but I wanted to > post this message quickly to encourage everyone to plan to visit this > amazing place while the show is still on. Don't miss it! > > Martha > > > > > Subject: Test - please delete From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:09:29 -0500 Test Subject: MOS fieldtrip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:57:57 -0500 Missbirders, We enjoyed a spectacular display of thousands of Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Great and Snowy Egrets, Double-crested and Neotropic Cormorants, Black-necked Stilts and many other shorebird species Saturday on the field trip of the Mississippi Ornithological Society. I'm sure a more detailed report will be posted later, but I wanted to post this message quickly to encourage everyone to plan to visit this amazing place while the show is still on. Don't miss it! Martha Subject: Yellow-throated Warbler From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:35:45 -0500 Finally, An excellent view of a Yellow-throated Warbler. I walked down to the Waterworks this morning (8/15/10) at 7:00 and headed back to the southwest along the powerline. There was a Sugar Hackberry there infested with scale that was full of Warblers. Yesterday I saw three to six Northern Parulas, White-eyed Vireo, Summer Tanager, unidentified Empid, possible Orange-crowned (dull yellow, NO marking, faint gray breast streaks and NO markings) and a Yellow-breasted Chat either in the tree or close by. All seemed to be in a very extroverted mood as they allowed uninterrupted eye level examination. Today there were three Yellow Warblers, (definitely not Orange- crowned, tail under patches and one with red breast streaks), one Worm- eating and the mythic central character of my own personal birding drama the Yellow-throated Warbler. I flaked out on the trip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR to finish a project so I plan to go next weekend. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: LBBG From: Ned and Lucy Boyajian <nedlucyboyajian AT bellsouth.net> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:51:44 -0500 Missbirders Yesterday morning, Aug 12, 2010 there was an imm. (entering ist winter?) Lesser Black-backed Gull at the Pass Christian Boat Harbor. Ned Boyajian Subject: More Avocets From: "Rob Heflin" <delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:58:24 -0500 I set a personal record today, counting 55 American avocets in one pond on the place. I also counted 3 least terns in the same pond, along with hundreds of peeps, dowitchers and black-necked stilts. Rob Heflin Isola, MS Subject: Re: Alabama Coastal BirdFest and Fort Morgan banding From: RubyThroat AT aol.com Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:19:34 EDT Martha and Missbirders BP apparently got booted off Fort Morgan State Historical Park, so we will now be operating both sites on the Fort. Come help us have fun. It is too much fun for so few people to have in this life. Life is good. Tons of hummers everywhere here. Bless All. Bob Sargent In a message dated 8/12/2010 8:20:48 A.M. Central Daylight Time, ulswan AT olemiss.edu writes: Missbirders, I thought some might be interested in this event: http://www.alabamacoastalbirdfest.com/ Please note that the dates fall within the scheduled Fall banding session at nearby Fort Morgan by Missbirder Bob Sargent and his organization. For more information, see: http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/index.html Hope to see some of you at St. Catherine Creek NWR this weekend! Martha Subject: Alabama Coastal BirdFest and Fort Morgan banding From: ulswan AT olemiss.edu Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:20:15 -0500 Missbirders, I thought some might be interested in this event: http://www.alabamacoastalbirdfest.com/ Please note that the dates fall within the scheduled Fall banding session at nearby Fort Morgan by Missbirder Bob Sargent and his organization. For more information, see: http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/index.html Hope to see some of you at St. Catherine Creek NWR this weekend! Martha Subject: St. Catherine Creek From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:17:38 -0500 Did I miss this information on MissBird? Is there another listserve I should be monitoring? This little tid-bit came in on Louisiana LABIRD. And I quote, "St. Catherine Creek NWR will host the Annual Shorebird and Wading Bird Day as part of the refuge's Second Saturday series, this Saturday, August 14, 2010. Staff and volunteers will lead tours around the Sibley Impoundments during the morning beginning at 7:30 am. Stop at the refuge office for specific directions. Call 601.442.6696 for information. St. Catherine Creek NWR is located not too far from the Louisiana border, 13 miles south of Natchez, Mississippi. It is managed by the national Fish and Wildlife Service. The same group is also responsible for management of Cat Island NWR near St. Francisville in Louisiana. http://www.fws.gov/saintcatherinecreek/ Directions to St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge headquarters is located at 76 Pintail Ln, Sibley, MS 39165. From Baton Rouge, follow U.S. Highway 61 South approximately 65 miles north to Sibley. Turn left and follow York Road 2 miles to the refuge entrance. Turn left on Pintail Lane. The headquarters is located approximately 0.7 miles down Pintail Lane on the right. Refuge directional signs are located at each turn. Last year this was a great site for Wood Storks -- no guarantees, but entirely possible they'll be here this year... --Jane Patterson Baton Rouge, LA" Subject: Buff-breasted Sandpiper-A&D Turf Farm From: "knights" <gsknight AT dixie-net.com> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:03:31 -0500 MISSBIRDERS, Today there was a single Buff-breasted Sandpiper in with 50+ Killdeer on the A & D Turf Farm south of Oxford. There was also 5 Horned Larks ( 2 adults, 1 subadult, and 2 juveniles). Mourning Dove seem to be migrating as they are accumulating on the sod also. Gene & Shannon Knight Oxford, MS gsknight AT dixie-net.com Subject: Hawks From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:38:53 -0500 There are a lot of non-kites soaring over Jackson. Most have been too far away to identify with any accuracy but three probable Broad-winged yesterday. Sunday a hawk was calmly sitting on top of one of the Medical buildings on North State examining the congregants emerging from evening services. Presumably he was contemplating theological exegesis. He left flying low before we could get the binoculars out of the car. I have seen no fall wobblers as yet though there have been fleeting suspicious sounds in the neighborhood. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Aberdeen Lock and Dam From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 19:57:44 -0700 (PDT) Yesterday morning at the Aberdeen Lock and Dam in Monroe Co. I thought I had a very early Magnolia Warbler.  From the front the stripes were very prominent against the yellow belly but the eye pattern was wrong and it had me in my field guide.  Turns out the bird was a juvenile Prairie Warbler.  http://www.pbase.com/wpatterson/image/127267737 Noticeably absent from the August count have been the Chats.  They've gone from being in every bush to NONE!!  I don't know if they've migrated out or gone into stealth mode.  My feeling is they've mostly moved out as they are usually not hard to get to Chat with you or at you. Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co. Subject: Delta birds From: "Rob Heflin" <delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 22:27:41 -0500 The shorebirds are still moving through the Isola area. Today I counted 12 Semipalmated Plovers among several hundred "peeps" and a couple dozen black-necked Stilts on the ponds. I'm still seeing wood storks passing over in the evenings on their way to roost. Snowy egrets, great egrets and little blue herons have been in and out of the grassier areas that are flooded. No teal yet but I'm expecting them soon. Dickcissels and yellow-billed cuckoos can be heard calling most every day and across the whole farm. All of my purple martins have been gone about 2 weeks now. Rob Heflin Isola, MS Subject: Activity From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 18:31:35 -0500 There were sixty one American Crows alongside a gravel road in Holmes County as I drove through. (Car! Car!) Most other sightings there were of little interest. I usually get Black Terns at this sight at about this time but there has been no sign thus far. This morning in Belhaven I saw a juvenile and adult male Baltimore Orioles at the intersection of Howard and Belmont. They were sitting right next to a Northern Flicker in a large Sweetgum. There are legitimate birders in the area and the neighbors are very protective of these birds. There were massive quantities of American Robins and the Northern Mockbirds seem to have had a fecund breeding season. I have been sighting Red-headed Woodpeckers more frequently than Red-bellied and I have only heard Downies for the past few weeks. As a matter of fact, the only Red-bellied I have seen was perched on top of a chimney just as I had just finished pedantically intoning that there were none to be seen. Mississippi Kites are still in the area in the afternoons and Nighthawks are still audible in the early AM and visible in the late PM. I am allowing very little time for birding nowadays but I can still sense the movement out there. I would like to get Black Tern, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Wood Stork and Warbling Vireo for the year so I am planning an early morning trip to St. Catherine's Creek NWR on either the 15th or 22nd. If anyone has recent information on these birds in this area I would be gratified to hear it. Or if anyone wants to depart the hallowed environs of the bold new city at a godless hour of the morning let me know. Or if anyone simply wishes to indulge in holistic diatribes, philosophical rants and amorphous political screeds they should limit themselves to fifty words or less with correct punctuation, grammar, syntax and spelling. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Request for coastal information From: Steve Holzman <steve_holzman AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 12:52:22 -0700 (PDT) Hello Mississippi Birders, The USFWS would like to enlist the help of local birders in identifying significant sea/shorebird habitat (focusing on fall and winter use) along MS, AL, and the panhandle of Florida (to a point north of Cedar Key). An easy way to report the coordinates is from the website http://mapper.acme.com . Pan around until the crosshair in the center is on top of the area, then report the coordinates displayed in the lower right. Send your sites and a description of the species that use the area directly to me at steve_holzman AT fws.gov. Thanks! Steve Holzman North High Shoals, GA Oconee County, Subject: Re: Am. Pipit in August ? From: David Whipple <zdawhip AT att.net> Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 13:44:50 -0500 Yes, the juvenile Horned Lark shown in Sibley closely matches what I saw. Never even considered that. Thanks !! David Whipple Pearland, TX Sent from my iPhone Go Saints !!! On Aug 7, 2010, at 1:13 PM, "knights" wrote: > Hi David, > > Do you think it might have been a juvenile Horned Lark? I have been seeing several in the last couple of weeks up here in the Oxford area. > > Gene Knight > Oxford, MS > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Whipple" > To: "missbird" > Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 12:51 PM > Subject: [MISSBIRD] Am. Pipit in August ? > > >> This morning I saw what I believe was an American Pipit here at Percy Quin State Park. I had several good views and cannot think of anything similar that I could have mistaken it as. Is it too early for a single Pipit to be migrating through Mississippi ? >> >> David Whipple >> Pearland, TX >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> Go Saints !!! >> > Subject: Am. Pipit in August ? From: David Whipple <zdawhip AT att.net> Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2010 12:51:22 -0500 This morning I saw what I believe was an American Pipit here at Percy Quin State Park. I had several good views and cannot think of anything similar that I could have mistaken it as. Is it too early for a single Pipit to be migrating through Mississippi ? David Whipple Pearland, TX Sent from my iPhone Go Saints !!! Subject: Summer Bird Records Due From: Terence Schiefer <tschiefer AT entomology.msstate.edu> Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:31:18 -0500 MISSBIRDers: Its time to send your summer (June to July) season records to me. They should reach me by 15 August or sooner in order to insure that they make the deadline for the summer season report in "North American Birds" (aka "Field Notes", aka "American Birds"). Records received after this date can still be included in "Birds Around the State", but timely submission of records is strongly encouraged. Drop me an E-mail if you need any blank "Bird Record Cards" or "Rare Bird Report Forms" on which to submit your records. We'd love to have your records. What bird records should be turned in? Turn in any records of uncommon or rare species, arrival or departure dates, unusual numbers of individuals, or any other record of interest. Your record can have state-wide significance or just be a good record for your neck of the woods. Records of species on the Mississippi Review List should be submitted with full details as on a "Rare Bird Report Form". All records submitted are archived and become part of the permanent file of bird records available for the future study of Mississippi Birds. Note that birds reported in your posts to MISSBIRD do NOT become part of Mississippi's ornithological record unless you also submit the record on a Bird Record Card (or similar card) or Rare Bird Report Form. Thanks. Terry Terence Lee Schiefer Mississippi Entomological Museum Box 9775 Mississippi State, MS 39762-9775 ph: 662-325-2989 (W); 662-324-3748 (H) FAX: 662-325-8837 email: tschiefer AT entomology.msstate.edu Subject: Percy Quin State Park 8/6/2010 From: David Whipple <zdawhip AT att.net> Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2010 16:22:21 -0500 I had 3 Black Terns at Percy Quin SP dam this morning. Also a yellow warbler. Other sightings were the usual suspects. Full listing to follow once I return home. David Whipple Pearland, TX Sent from my iPhone Go Saints !!! Subject: RE: Odonata From: "littonsphac" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 20:45:57 -0500 J. Litton's English Teacher..."you should be so lucky!" "I sleep great, restful as a baby, do-wake-laughing occasionally!" "My style got you gasping in a run-on: Huh?" ....don't eat grass; Dragonflies eat amphids and others on and in grass: known to dust-off, bask-off, light-off and hunker-down there to, sometimes on the wiggly-end. My goodness missbird sure is quiet, so I've come to quibble to a screaming nightmare, asking recurring, "how many?" Jerry L. Litton Jackson MS -----Original Message----- From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of J. Allen Burrows Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 8:48 PM To: Mississippi Birding List Subject: [MISSBIRD] Odonata Dragoonfly? I have this recurring nightmare that I'm Jerry Litton's English teacher. Then I wake up screaming. On the other hand I no longer worry about the length of my run-on sentences. My interest was piqued by "Dragonflies Through Binoculars", a less- than scholarly tome with bundant pictures. I have learned that Dragoonflies do not eat grass. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Red-headed Woodpeckers From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 14:43:03 -0500 I saw twelve Red-headed Woodpeckers on my morning neighborhood walk today, August 1, 2010. There were five in one tree overlooking the Belhaven University football practice field. There was not much else of any interest other than a pair of skulking Summer Tanagers working on the far side of a Water Oak. The Mississippi Kites have been extraordinarily active. Their interest in Odonata surpasses that evinced by even the most enthusiastic Missbirder. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Birding Crowder Ponds 7/30 From: khackman AT comcast.net Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 02:23:10 +0000 (UTC) Greetings all: Randy Palmer and I left Madison at 5:00 a.m. and took a trip up to Crowder Ponds today for a quick trip to find shorebirds.  We had some success, with most of our birds being of other varieties.  Shorebirds were fairly diverse, but not in any real numbers aside from the Killdeer.  It was just a little hot.  98 degrees at 2:00 recorded by my HTC Hero.  NO WIND.  :-( I am hoping to come to St. Catherine's Creek for MOS, but I just got my newsletter today, (It probably got picked up by one of the girls.... I found it while cleaning house this evening), so I missed the registration deadline, as usual.  That and my schedule seem to ensure that I never make it.  Thanks to those whose emails kept us informed on the Odonata species situation while we were out.  Interesting info.  We also had HUGE numbers of dragonflies.  I wondered what radar would have shown for our area. Also, not seen today, but Thursday:  Randy had a pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks five miles west of Louise on the way to Anguilla. Partial   List: Least Sandpipers     *25+ Western Sandpipers  *6 Semipalmated Sandpipers  *5 Semipalmated Plovers  *1 Killdeer  *100+ Lesser Yellowlegs  *3 Solitary Sandpipers  *20+ Spotted Sandpiper     *2 Pectoral Sandpiper  (one individual ) Black-necked Stilt  *20+ Black Tern  *2 White Ibis    *30+ Wood Stork    *4 Anhingas        *3 Double-crested Cormorants   *2 Black-crowned Night Heron    *1 immature Great Egrets  *30+ Snowy Egrets  *2 Cattle Egrets  *10+ Little Blue Herons    * 100+ Great Blue Herons  *50+ Mallards       *100+ Wood Ducks  *20+ Mississippi Kites  *4 Red-tailed Hawk  *2 Cooper's Hawk  *1 Great Horned Owl  *1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo  *10 + Painted Bunting  *2 Indigo Buntings  *30+ Dicksissel   *2 Odonata spp.   *many, many 1000's (like everyone else!) Diamond-backed Water Snake  *1  (better than 3 1/2 feet) Ken Hackman Subject: Odonata From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:54:58 -0500 Sorry, I was marveling so much over the fantasy of winged cavalrymen that I forgot what I was supposed to post. I chased four or five Yellow Warblers around some White Oak and Water Oak yesterday in Holmes County. I had one suspected Yellow-throated Warbler that would not let me get a closer look and upwards of seventy five Barn Swallows sitting on a power line with two Purple Martins. Pantala flavescens was evident in abundance. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Odonata From: "J. Allen Burrows" <rotteral AT aol.com> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:47:43 -0500 Dragoonfly? I have this recurring nightmare that I'm Jerry Litton's English teacher. Then I wake up screaming. On the other hand I no longer worry about the length of my run-on sentences. My interest was piqued by "Dragonflies Through Binoculars", a less- than scholarly tome with bundant pictures. I have learned that Dragoonflies do not eat grass. J. Allen Burrows Jackson MS Subject: Re: Ross Barnett Rez Spillway (Rankin/ Madison Co) From: khackman AT comcast.net Date: Sun, 1 Aug 2010 01:39:56 +0000 (UTC) Pullen, Several years ago there was a nest in the Pelahatchie Bay area.  I don't know how regularly they nest, as I am ashamed to admit that I bird elsewhere more than at home.  I have seen them during the summer along the causeway across to Foxchase (and that area),  fairly often over the years. Ken ----- Original Message ----- From: PullenWatkins AT comcast.net To: missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 5:43:16 PM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Ross Barnett  Rez Spillway (Rankin/ Madison Co) All, I was traveling across the spillway going toward Ridgeland and noticed an OSPREY flying above the spillway. I have not seen them on the rez past March. Are they migrating or is it possible that they could have nested on the rez? Pullen Madison, MS Subject: Migrants From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:31:18 -0700 (PDT) Had two migrating warblers today.  Black-throated Green AT Tombigbee State Park and a Yellow Warbler here in Shannon. Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co. Subject: Ross Barnett Rez Spillway (Rankin/ Madison Co) From: PullenWatkins AT comcast.net Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:43:16 +0000 (UTC) All, I was traveling across the spillway going toward Ridgeland and noticed an OSPREY flying above the spillway. I have not seen them on the rez past March. Are they migrating or is it possible that they could have nested on the rez? Pullen Madison, MS Subject: RE: Coast phenomena From: Lew Proudfoot <lewis_s_proudfoot AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:40:20 -0700 (PDT) You guys keep writing like that, it's ok with me! Lew Proudfoot The Wind in My Face Vancleave, MS --- On Sat, 7/31/10, littonsphac wrote: From: littonsphac Subject: RE: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena To: "'Joseph Ravita'" , "'Nick Gault'" , "'Missbird'" Date: Saturday, July 31, 2010, 7:23 AM Could it be all the miles of rim like dams to stop crude oil infusion into marshes and fresh water places that are shallow enough with enough vegetable members for nutrition and cover to hid to have contributed to likely breeding places for the species. Look and see if there is a similarity in the members of this dragoonfly association or if there is a great variety. My guess is they are mostly a same two or three species. I had a similar experience at Yazoo NWR in Gin Slough a few weeks ago. They were so thick the horizon was blurred and out of focus for me they were so bundant and numerous buzzing about in the narrow plane of just above to about six or eight feet above the water level. There was only a couple of species of great quanity with another one or two species groups mixed in of a later breeder. That day was amazing in how many dragonflies were in the air and I was able to canoe through all this with my head right in the middle of the buzzing. The below email described odonata sounds like a clubtail variety and there doesn't seem to be as many of those, likely a good thing, some of them are big enough to attack Mockingbirds. I have not heard of any attacks on humans though they could gang-up and do some damage it they had a mind to. If they had hard crust like horse-flies and liked blood - ouch! Good thing they don't eat blood though I've seen accounts of attacks on smaller odonata species or young of same species so they seem to be descrationary diners. Fresh water pools, streams, day and night tempertures, available sunlight and a previous large though smaller merging is likely to have occued a little while ago to have given this large natural phenoma we are surprised about. Just when we think nature is going to hell in a hand basket we get our imaginations reloaded with the magnitude of nature as it reloads the food chain and gives us surprises. Even though the talk has waned about the spill, the supposed cap is holding, ain't no fury like that of Mother Nature and she ain't nearly through with her anger and her response at the invasion we have released on her babies. Wouldn't it be something if we walked, turned of the lights and ac units, wore old jeans and grew tomatoes in a bucket garden, gave up softdrinks and take to water room-temperture, to eat - drink for a month and that alone would give nature time to recharge enough to carry us for another six and a half billion years and the tax stimulus packaged would be shocked into obedience and our kids wouldn't have that enormous debt to pay, they could start out even-steven with the world, we wouldn't have to fear Alqata or the Russians or the Chinese or invaders from other planets and immagration of outsiders would be popular instead of ruplisive and disdained because our piece of pie is smaller, and we'd see we only need a little of what we come to expect and retirement would be a given with a fair amount of hard-work instead of a worry, and lord, there wouldn't be any contempt in our religious institutions. I don't know what got into me. I won't tell you anything I don't believe and will do kindly. Something has to be done to correct the confusion we are minstering on earth and out planetary system, not just earth, it is the whole schbang. We're just not very good house-keepers or stewards and it hurts to the heart. This is a little heavy for a bird-list-serve. I'm sorry. I won't likely shut-up so kick me out if needed, I will not be upset and I'll still like all of you and respect you and I'll keep doing what I do come hell or high water. Jerry L. Litton  -----Original Message----- From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph Ravita Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 7:29 AM To: Nick Gault; Missbird Subject: Re: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena Nick, Interestingly post.  I may be observing the same 'phenomena,' about the "dragon flies" as you.  But I have not yet been sufficiently bitten or smitten by the bug [pun intendedly] to send me to the books on dagonflies & damselflies.  Even so, my own gadabout curiosity was piqued enough one morning a couple of weeks ago on Front Beach Drive near the small craft harbor when one consarned, distracting [notwithstanding, and I must admit, disarmingly 'attractive']  suspected 'odonata' got right in the way of my Katrina-vintage Nikon D70S's AF-Zoom NIKKOR ED lens as it came to rest near the top of saw grass that bordered the beautiful Ocean Springs beachfront. Instantly taken aback, I'd almost forgot entirely about  the build-up of white beach-sand caught in my white diabetic socks, and was overly stunned by the fact that each wing of this humongous, over-sized God-awful-looking flying insect had a bigger-than-big round charcoal-colored spot, almost like the pale crescent window of a red-shouldered, except that was much more clearly-defined, being  mostly circular in shape, and rather semi-translucent; it was a black plastic disc pasted to the unfamilar-looking insect's wings.  And the dragon fly  - if, indeed that is what it was -  held its wings outstretched, remaining there for a few minutes, quite still, as it seemed to feed on a small clump of chestnut brown spikes that grew, - as I can best recall -  near the top of this saw grass. Meanwhile I proceeded to shoot close-ups of a nice breeding-plumaged Spotted Sandpiper, which only moments earlier announced its presence with that clear, loud seemingly-incessant 'peet-weet' call.  By then I'd gotten back on track - the initial interruption of having encounted a distracting flying insect somewhat well behind me, the little peppery-breasted sandpiper allowed me some decent views of itself.  And, as usual, my workhorse Nikon's on-board electronics took full-charge of things; good-to-know, bottonline meaning for me was that all aperature-settings were properly done by built-in controls, and with a fully-charged EL3e battery pack in place, I could most assuredly go about my business of taking good 'point-and-shoot' digital photographs. [Realistically speaking, let's face it, my days of trying to be 'innovative' are far, far behind me.]   I was truly moved by the way in which this resident sandpiper spritely bobbed around the rock jetties - doing quite well in keeping its feet quite dry, going from assorted and sundry heavy chunks of large hauled-in rock to even larger pieces of assorted and sundry heavy chunks of hauled-in rocks, all the while seeming to poignantly articulate to all the world that it found its own "sense of place."   Other than the above, what with such a full-plate in trying still to successfully master the genus Empidonax; separate with a 95% confidence-level the Plegadis; different with any reasonable degree of certainty the three Myiarchus that could visit our area; and, well   .. .as you so succinctly allude, as far as nearby parking-lot goatsuckers go, if there were a lesser nighthawk in the flock, you would not  know it by me,  so you can actually color me a nondragonfly-watcher - as least for the time-being. Joe Ravita Biloxi-Woolmarket ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick Gault" To: "Missbird" Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 8:21 PM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena > In Ocean Springs for the past two days there has been great numbers of > dragon flies in the skies wherever we go. Who else across the south has > noticed this? > > When I lived in a second story apartment in Columbus MS a couple of years > ago, I noticed a lot of birds I outside the windows flying around the > nearby parking lot. When I went to observe, I found hundreds of dragon > flies in the air being chased by more nighthawks than I've ever seen in > one place. > > Nick > Ocean Springs > > Sent from my iPhonea Subject: RE: Coast phenomena From: "littonsphac" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:23:22 -0500 Could it be all the miles of rim like dams to stop crude oil infusion into marshes and fresh water places that are shallow enough with enough vegetable members for nutrition and cover to hid to have contributed to likely breeding places for the species. Look and see if there is a similarity in the members of this dragoonfly association or if there is a great variety. My guess is they are mostly a same two or three species. I had a similar experience at Yazoo NWR in Gin Slough a few weeks ago. They were so thick the horizon was blurred and out of focus for me they were so bundant and numerous buzzing about in the narrow plane of just above to about six or eight feet above the water level. There was only a couple of species of great quanity with another one or two species groups mixed in of a later breeder. That day was amazing in how many dragonflies were in the air and I was able to canoe through all this with my head right in the middle of the buzzing. The below email described odonata sounds like a clubtail variety and there doesn't seem to be as many of those, likely a good thing, some of them are big enough to attack Mockingbirds. I have not heard of any attacks on humans though they could gang-up and do some damage it they had a mind to. If they had hard crust like horse-flies and liked blood - ouch! Good thing they don't eat blood though I've seen accounts of attacks on smaller odonata species or young of same species so they seem to be descrationary diners. Fresh water pools, streams, day and night tempertures, available sunlight and a previous large though smaller merging is likely to have occued a little while ago to have given this large natural phenoma we are surprised about. Just when we think nature is going to hell in a hand basket we get our imaginations reloaded with the magnitude of nature as it reloads the food chain and gives us surprises. Even though the talk has waned about the spill, the supposed cap is holding, ain't no fury like that of Mother Nature and she ain't nearly through with her anger and her response at the invasion we have released on her babies. Wouldn't it be something if we walked, turned of the lights and ac units, wore old jeans and grew tomatoes in a bucket garden, gave up softdrinks and take to water room-temperture, to eat - drink for a month and that alone would give nature time to recharge enough to carry us for another six and a half billion years and the tax stimulus packaged would be shocked into obedience and our kids wouldn't have that enormous debt to pay, they could start out even-steven with the world, we wouldn't have to fear Alqata or the Russians or the Chinese or invaders from other planets and immagration of outsiders would be popular instead of ruplisive and disdained because our piece of pie is smaller, and we'd see we only need a little of what we come to expect and retirement would be a given with a fair amount of hard-work instead of a worry, and lord, there wouldn't be any contempt in our religious institutions. I don't know what got into me. I won't tell you anything I don't believe and will do kindly. Something has to be done to correct the confusion we are minstering on earth and out planetary system, not just earth, it is the whole schbang. We're just not very good house-keepers or stewards and it hurts to the heart. This is a little heavy for a bird-list-serve. I'm sorry. I won't likely shut-up so kick me out if needed, I will not be upset and I'll still like all of you and respect you and I'll keep doing what I do come hell or high water. Jerry L. Litton -----Original Message----- From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of Joseph Ravita Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 7:29 AM To: Nick Gault; Missbird Subject: Re: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena Nick, Interestingly post. I may be observing the same 'phenomena,' about the "dragon flies" as you. But I have not yet been sufficiently bitten or smitten by the bug [pun intendedly] to send me to the books on dagonflies & damselflies. Even so, my own gadabout curiosity was piqued enough one morning a couple of weeks ago on Front Beach Drive near the small craft harbor when one consarned, distracting [notwithstanding, and I must admit, disarmingly 'attractive'] suspected 'odonata' got right in the way of my Katrina-vintage Nikon D70S's AF-Zoom NIKKOR ED lens as it came to rest near the top of saw grass that bordered the beautiful Ocean Springs beachfront. Instantly taken aback, I'd almost forgot entirely about the build-up of white beach-sand caught in my white diabetic socks, and was overly stunned by the fact that each wing of this humongous, over-sized God-awful-looking flying insect had a bigger-than-big round charcoal-colored spot, almost like the pale crescent window of a red-shouldered, except that was much more clearly-defined, being mostly circular in shape, and rather semi-translucent; it was a black plastic disc pasted to the unfamilar-looking insect's wings. And the dragon fly - if, indeed that is what it was - held its wings outstretched, remaining there for a few minutes, quite still, as it seemed to feed on a small clump of chestnut brown spikes that grew, - as I can best recall - near the top of this saw grass. Meanwhile I proceeded to shoot close-ups of a nice breeding-plumaged Spotted Sandpiper, which only moments earlier announced its presence with that clear, loud seemingly-incessant 'peet-weet' call. By then I'd gotten back on track - the initial interruption of having encounted a distracting flying insect somewhat well behind me, the little peppery-breasted sandpiper allowed me some decent views of itself. And, as usual, my workhorse Nikon's on-board electronics took full-charge of things; good-to-know, bottonline meaning for me was that all aperature-settings were properly done by built-in controls, and with a fully-charged EL3e battery pack in place, I could most assuredly go about my business of taking good 'point-and-shoot' digital photographs. [Realistically speaking, let's face it, my days of trying to be 'innovative' are far, far behind me.] I was truly moved by the way in which this resident sandpiper spritely bobbed around the rock jetties - doing quite well in keeping its feet quite dry, going from assorted and sundry heavy chunks of large hauled-in rock to even larger pieces of assorted and sundry heavy chunks of hauled-in rocks, all the while seeming to poignantly articulate to all the world that it found its own "sense of place." Other than the above, what with such a full-plate in trying still to successfully master the genus Empidonax; separate with a 95% confidence-level the Plegadis; different with any reasonable degree of certainty the three Myiarchus that could visit our area; and, well .. .as you so succinctly allude, as far as nearby parking-lot goatsuckers go, if there were a lesser nighthawk in the flock, you would not know it by me, so you can actually color me a nondragonfly-watcher - as least for the time-being. Joe Ravita Biloxi-Woolmarket ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick Gault" To: "Missbird" Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 8:21 PM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena > In Ocean Springs for the past two days there has been great numbers of > dragon flies in the skies wherever we go. Who else across the south has > noticed this? > > When I lived in a second story apartment in Columbus MS a couple of years > ago, I noticed a lot of birds I outside the windows flying around the > nearby parking lot. When I went to observe, I found hundreds of dragon > flies in the air being chased by more nighthawks than I've ever seen in > one place. > > Nick > Ocean Springs > > Sent from my iPhonea Subject: Re: Coast phenomena From: "Joseph Ravita" <jravita AT cableone.net> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:28:33 -0500 Nick, Interestingly post. I may be observing the same 'phenomena,' about the "dragon flies" as you. But I have not yet been sufficiently bitten or smitten by the bug [pun intendedly] to send me to the books on dagonflies & damselflies. Even so, my own gadabout curiosity was piqued enough one morning a couple of weeks ago on Front Beach Drive near the small craft harbor when one consarned, distracting [notwithstanding, and I must admit, disarmingly 'attractive'] suspected 'odonata' got right in the way of my Katrina-vintage Nikon D70S's AF-Zoom NIKKOR ED lens as it came to rest near the top of saw grass that bordered the beautiful Ocean Springs beachfront. Instantly taken aback, I'd almost forgot entirely about the build-up of white beach-sand caught in my white diabetic socks, and was overly stunned by the fact that each wing of this humongous, over-sized God-awful-looking flying insect had a bigger-than-big round charcoal-colored spot, almost like the pale crescent window of a red-shouldered, except that was much more clearly-defined, being mostly circular in shape, and rather semi-translucent; it was a black plastic disc pasted to the unfamilar-looking insect's wings. And the dragon fly - if, indeed that is what it was - held its wings outstretched, remaining there for a few minutes, quite still, as it seemed to feed on a small clump of chestnut brown spikes that grew, - as I can best recall - near the top of this saw grass. Meanwhile I proceeded to shoot close-ups of a nice breeding-plumaged Spotted Sandpiper, which only moments earlier announced its presence with that clear, loud seemingly-incessant 'peet-weet' call. By then I'd gotten back on track - the initial interruption of having encounted a distracting flying insect somewhat well behind me, the little peppery-breasted sandpiper allowed me some decent views of itself. And, as usual, my workhorse Nikon's on-board electronics took full-charge of things; good-to-know, bottonline meaning for me was that all aperature-settings were properly done by built-in controls, and with a fully-charged EL3e battery pack in place, I could most assuredly go about my business of taking good 'point-and-shoot' digital photographs. [Realistically speaking, let's face it, my days of trying to be 'innovative' are far, far behind me.] I was truly moved by the way in which this resident sandpiper spritely bobbed around the rock jetties - doing quite well in keeping its feet quite dry, going from assorted and sundry heavy chunks of large hauled-in rock to even larger pieces of assorted and sundry heavy chunks of hauled-in rocks, all the while seeming to poignantly articulate to all the world that it found its own "sense of place." Other than the above, what with such a full-plate in trying still to successfully master the genus Empidonax; separate with a 95% confidence-level the Plegadis; different with any reasonable degree of certainty the three Myiarchus that could visit our area; and, well .. .as you so succinctly allude, as far as nearby parking-lot goatsuckers go, if there were a lesser nighthawk in the flock, you would not know it by me, so you can actually color me a nondragonfly-watcher - as least for the time-being. Joe Ravita Biloxi-Woolmarket ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick Gault" To: "Missbird" Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 8:21 PM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena > In Ocean Springs for the past two days there has been great numbers of > dragon flies in the skies wherever we go. Who else across the south has > noticed this? > > When I lived in a second story apartment in Columbus MS a couple of years > ago, I noticed a lot of birds I outside the windows flying around the > nearby parking lot. When I went to observe, I found hundreds of dragon > flies in the air being chased by more nighthawks than I've ever seen in > one place. > > Nick > Ocean Springs > > Sent from my iPhonea Subject: Re: Coast phenomena From: "Joseph Ravita" <jravita AT cableone.net> Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:27:41 -0500 Nick, Interestingly post. I may be observing the same 'phenomena,' about the "dragon flies" as you. But I have not yet been sufficiently bitten or smitten by the bug [pun intendedly] to send me to the books on dagonflies & damselflies. Even so, my own gadabout curiosity was piqued enough one morning a couple of weeks ago on Front Beach Drive near the small craft harbor when one consarned, distracting [notwithstanding, and I must admit, disarmingly 'attractive'] suspected 'odonata' got right in the way of my Katrina-vintage Nikon D70S's AF-Zoom NIKKOR ED lens as it came to rest near the top of saw grass that bordered the beautiful Ocean Springs beachfront. Instantly taken aback, I'd almost forgot entirely about the build-up of white beach-sand caught in my white diabetic socks, and was overly-stunned by the fact that each wing of this humongous, over-sized God-awful-looking, but so interesting, flying insect had a bigger-than-big round charcoal-colored spot, almost like the pale crescent window of a red-shouldered, except that was much more clearly-defined, being mostly circular in shape, and rather semi-translucent; it was a black plastic disc pasted to the unfamilar-looking insect's wings. And the dragon fly - if, indeed that is what it was - held its wings outstretched, remaining there for a few minutes, quite still, as it seemed to feed on a small clump of chestnut brown spikes that grew, - as I can best recall - near the top of this saw grass. Meanwhile I proceeded to shoot close-ups of a nice breeding-plumaged Spotted Sandpiper, which only moments earlier announced its presence with that clear, loud seemingly-incessant 'peet-weet' call. By then I'd gotten back on track - the initial interruption of having encounted a distracting flying insect somewhat well behind me, the little peppery-breasted sandpiper allowed me some decent views of itself. And, as usual, my workhorse Nikon's on-board electronics took full-charge of things; good-to-know, bottonline meaning for me, of course, was that all aperature-settings were being properly managed by built-in controls, and with a fully-charged EL3e battery pack in place, I could most assuredly go about my business of taking good 'point-and-shoot' digital photographs. [Realistically speaking, let's face it, my days of trying to be 'innovative' are far, far behind me.] I was truly moved by the neat way in which this resident sandpiper spritely bobbed around the rock jetties - doing well in keeping its feet quite dry, going from the top surfaces of assorted and sundry heavy chunks of large hauled-in rock to the Oceans Springs beachfront to the tops of even larger pieces of assorted and sundry heavy chunks of hauled-in rocks to the Oceans Springs beachfront, all the while seeming to poignantly articulate to all the world that it found its own "sense of place." Other than the above, what with such a full-plate in trying still to successfully master the genus Empidonax; separate with a 95% confidence-level the Plegadis [thusly avoiding undue embarassment and sharp critique amongst similarly trained Toups-era Bushwhacker birders]; differentiate with any reasonable degree of certainty the three Myiarchus that could visit our area; and, well .. .as you so coherently allude, as far as nearby parking-lot goatsuckers go, if there were a lesser nighthawk in the flock, I'd be rather shaky to give a positive ID, so you can actually color me a nondragonfly-watcher - as least for the time-being. Joe Ravita Biloxi-Woolmarket ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nick Gault" To: "Missbird" Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 8:21 PM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Coast phenomena > In Ocean Springs for the past two days there has been great numbers of > dragon flies in the skies wherever we go. Who else across the south has > noticed this? > > When I lived in a second story apartment in Columbus MS a couple of years > ago, I noticed a lot of birds I outside the windows flying around the > nearby parking lot. When I went to observe, I found hundreds of dragon > flies in the air being chased by more nighthawks than I've ever seen in > one place. > > Nick > Ocean Springs > > Sent from my iPhonea Subject: Re: [MISSBIRD] loggerhead shrikes From: "delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" <delta_gamekeeper@yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:58:52 -0700 (PDT) I've seen young shrikes hunting French fries at McDonalds in Belzoni. There seems to be an abundance if shrikes in the delta. Rob Heflin Sent from my HTC ----- Reply message ----- From: "Jesse Yancy" Date: Fri, Jul 30, 2010 18:54 Subject: [MISSBIRD] loggerhead shrikes To: "MISSBIRD" In my birding experience, which includes three decades in north Mississippi, loggerhead shrikes are most often found in flat, open country on a low power line or on a wire fence, usually within a short distance of a single tree or a small clump. This is especially true during nesting season, but for the rest of the year look for them on a wire perch in open country. They carry their tails almost parallel to the ground, which distinguishes them from a mockingbird, which usually perches with his or her tail pointed more or less downward. Also unlike a mockingbird, you'll very rarely see a shrike on the ground. A loggerhead shrike was my first "lifer", seen in a pine tree in a pasture in Bruce, Mississippi in 1973. JLY Subject: Coast phenomena From: Nick Gault <saintnick AT cableone.net> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:21:15 -0500 In Ocean Springs for the past two days there has been great numbers of dragon flies in the skies wherever we go. Who else across the south has noticed this? When I lived in a second story apartment in Columbus MS a couple of years ago, I noticed a lot of birds I outside the windows flying around the nearby parking lot. When I went to observe, I found hundreds of dragon flies in the air being chased by more nighthawks than I've ever seen in one place. Nick Ocean Springs Sent from my iPhone Subject: Coast List From: Ned and Lucy Boyajian <nedlucyboyajian AT bellsouth.net> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:12:33 -0500 Missbirders: An updated version of The Annotated List of MS Coast Birds is now available. The purpose of this list is to present detailed accounts of the status of the birds of the six coastal counties of Mississippi in a form that can be periodically monitored and updated. It has been over twenty years since the publication of Birds and Birding on the Mississippi Coast by Toups and Jackson, 1987 and much has changed. An on-line source was begun by Stacy Peterson in the late 1990’s, dealing primarily with arrival and departure dates of migrants. Much of the data gathered by Stacy, and many of his cogent comments, are incorporated here with his permission. You can browse or download the list at the Pascagoula River Aud Center website (look under “birds, education, science”) or I can send you a copy directly. It is a Word Document of 180 pages. I very much need your help in improving the accuracy and usefulness of this list; not just significant sightings but also your comments on format, content and overall usefulness. Ned Boyajian Subject: loggerhead shrikes From: "Jesse Yancy" <jlyancy AT comcast.net> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:54:18 -0500 In my birding experience, which includes three decades in north Mississippi, loggerhead shrikes are most often found in flat, open country on a low power line or on a wire fence, usually within a short distance of a single tree or a small clump. This is especially true during nesting season, but for the rest of the year look for them on a wire perch in open country. They carry their tails almost parallel to the ground, which distinguishes them from a mockingbird, which usually perches with his or her tail pointed more or less downward. Also unlike a mockingbird, you'll very rarely see a shrike on the ground. A loggerhead shrike was my first "lifer", seen in a pine tree in a pasture in Bruce, Mississippi in 1973. JLY Subject: RE: Loggerhead Shrikes From: "littonsphac" <littonsphac AT bellsouth.net> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:05:30 -0500 I've had them nesting in a Bradford Pear Tree and reproducing young in South Jackson on Terry Road several years ago and got photos of young but I don't think that is really common, they nest more northern. I see them resting and scouting from overhead wires mostly in the later summer months and may have seen them in the winter time. There is an invitation requesting sightnings from an organization in Canada that is interested in sightings of shrikes with bands for identification, they are trying to develop movment routes for that species and nesting patterns. I bet you can keyword shrikes and find that organization. They had issued requesdt through missbird and I visited their site but did not save the link. I don't think much is known about them and they seem to be declining like most everything else. Jerry L. Litton Jackson MS -----Original Message----- From: owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu [mailto:owner-missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu] On Behalf Of Michael Rotter Sent: Friday, July 30, 2010 12:27 PM To: missbird AT listserv.olemiss.edu Subject: [MISSBIRD] Loggerhead Shrikes Does anyone know of a good location to find Loggerhead Shrikes in North-East Mississippi? Also I am curious about any sightings of Loggerheads at Chickasaw Village since 2001. Thanks. -Michael Rotter Subject: Loggerhead Shrikes From: Michael Rotter <mjrotter AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:26:48 -0500 Does anyone know of a good location to find Loggerhead Shrikes in North-East Mississippi? Also I am curious about any sightings of Loggerheads at Chickasaw Village since 2001. Thanks. -Michael Rotter Subject: Nettleton Hunting and Fishing Club From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:46:56 -0700 (PDT) My plan was to find two species for my month list, Swainson's and Kentucky Warblers.  Both species can be found here and I thought chances would be good yesterday.  My usual walk is about 3/4 of a mile along a well maintained but gated and secluded gravel road with Lake Conwill and then the old Tenn-Tom channel on my right with a strip of woods of varying density between the road and the water.  On the left is old growth woods, old for this area of Mississippi anyway, with thick tangles and low swampy areas.  I walked to the end of this road with no target birds seen or heard.  This is a bad sign because the return trip usually produces fewer birds.  Also with very few mosquitos bothering me I knew water levels had to be down and maybe the birds had left the area early.  I decided to give it one more good try pishing but still had no luck.  I had decided to give up when I heard the distinctive Chip of a Swainson's Warbler.  The bird popped into view in , what is for them,  the open.  He was a little above eye level sitting on a branch surrounded by vegetation but perched so I had a great view of him.  For about 30 seconds the bird stayed.  In my experience 30 seconds is a very long time for these shy guys to sit still.  The field guides say they are nondescript but this one was anything but.  His undersides actually seemed to be tinged with yellow.   The division between his dark back and crown was very crisp and I could see those long toes that look like they could wrap double around a limb.  They are VERY long.  Anyway I had one of my two target birds and felt pretty good for the quicker hike back to my vehicle. As I got within sight of the truck a bird flew from the ground to a spot behind a tree ahead and to my left.  I then saw a Cardinal fly away from the vicinity of the sighting but I just didn't think it looked right for the bird I had seen.  When I got closer to the tree to peer around the backside of it, a newly fledged Kentucky Warbler moved in the tangles and rewarded me with great views from about 10-15 feet.  Then Mom moved and there were great looks of her as well.  Definitely a wrap on the morning and I headed for home feeling pretty good.  There was definitely a lot fewer birds calling than in previous visits.  Normally you can't hear yourself for the White-eyed Vireos but not so yesterday.  I still managed my target birds plus Prothonotary, Redstart, La. Waterthrush, and Northern Parula Warblers. Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co. Subject: Re: Goldfinch From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:39:10 -0700 (PDT) Joan and Doug, Up here in Northeast MS, where small numbers do breed, I see and hear a few of them regularly now in and around Tombigbee State Park.  A couple summers ago I found a nest in the park.  The last time they've been at my feeders though was June 26th when a male & female pair spent about two days enjoying seed.  However, I would think finding one in your area of the state this time of year would be more unusual. Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS Lee Co. ________________________________ From: Joan Clarke To: missbird AT willow.olemiss.edu Sent: Mon, July 26, 2010 6:59:07 PM Subject: [MISSBIRD] Goldfinch We had a bright male American Goldfinch at our feeder this evening.  Is anyone else seeing goldfinches now?   Joan & Doug Clarke Vicksburg Subject: Goldfinch From: "Joan Clarke" <clarkes AT cablelynx.com> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:59:07 -0500 We had a bright male American Goldfinch at our feeder this evening. Is anyone else seeing goldfinches now? Joan & Doug Clarke Vicksburg Subject: Chickasaw village Lee county 7.24.2010 From: Michael Rotter <mjrotter AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:27:31 -0500 Lisa I added you to this post just because I found it interesting for Chickasaw Village. On my usuall Saturday birding at Chickasaw I added a new species to my list. I happened across a large Rooster hanging around in a privet thicket on the North end of the area. It was fairly striking to see such a large bird unexpected. I visited again that night and Next morning and it was still in the privet clucking away. One more for the old list I guess? Also on other sightings I had a Ruby-throughted hummingbird chasing away a group of thrashers from a juniper. I had a coopers hawk with a short fly over also as non fowl highlights. Also the aster family flowers are really starting to hit their stride! Cheers, Michael Rotter Subject: Lee & Chickasaw Co. From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:31:47 -0700 (PDT) With all the rain we've had this Spring and Summer all the usual shorebird habitat is underwater.  I've resorted to looking in fields still holding water and one of these fields near the Treatement Ponds in Tupelo hosted (3) Pectoral Sandpipers and a Spotted Sandpiper.  The black terns seen at the Treatment Ponds yesterday were not present this morning.  South of Okolona  on Lake Jock DeMoville there were (3) Snowy Egrets and a disheveled looking Lesser Scaup.  I suspect and injured bird rehabbing.  Again no suitable mudflats here either.  A little further south at the Egypt catfish ponds was a lone adult Bald Eagle. Very little else strirring around the ponds, not even the usual Vultures and Swallows. Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co.  Subject: Black Terns From: Wayne Patterson <wrp6 AT att.net> Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:47:22 -0700 (PDT) I made a stop this afternoon at the Tupelo Water Treatment Plant and there were 16 Black Terns diving and swooping over the North Pond.  There was also a single Little Blue Heron and one of the Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Herons I saw last weekend still around.  Wayne Patterson Shannon, MS  Lee Co.  Subject: Black Terns From: "delta_gamekeeper AT yahoo.com" <delta_gamekeeper@yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:03:48 -0700 (PDT) 5 black terns today on the ponds. Jet black breeding plumage. The avocets have flown the coop. I took several photos of them on Monday afternoon and they were nowhere to be found Tuesday morning. Not sure if the camera ran them off or not. ;) Photos on the shorebird page shortly. Yazoovalleywildlife.com/shorebird.html Rob Heflin Isola, MS Sent from my HTC