TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY 
Although Wood Storks are annual visitors to the extreme southwestern corner 
of the Tennessee & Kentucky region, reports from western Kentucky remain 
quite rare. Eleven birds in western Fulton County 13-15 (here 15) September 
2008 made an extraordinary local record. Photograph by Roseanna Denton. 
Swallow-tailed Kites are extremely rare vagrants to the Tennessee & Ken- 
tucky region. This one was first noted over Mississippi County, Missouri but 
was followed as it drifted southward to a point over Carlisle County, Kentucky 
on 1 5 September 2008. Photograph by Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 
sions 17-25 Nov (B&JP, WC, LMcD) was 
quite remarkable; another was at the Wal- 
Mart Distribution Center, Greene, TN 22 Nov 
(DMi). There were only two reports of Gold- 
en Eagle; an extremely early bird (age unre- 
ported) at Big Bald Mt., Unicoi, TN 29-30 Sep 
(MH) and a juv. at Mt. Zion, Pulaski, KY 16 
Nov (RD). It was a good season for Merlin, 
with singles reported at 17 locales on 20 oc- 
casions 15 Aug-15 Nov; the earliest, in Jeffer- 
son, KY QBe, PB), matched the state’s early fall 
date. Two were in Dyer, TN 11 Oct QRW). In 
Tennessee, it was also a good season for Pere- 
grine Falcons, with 13 reported throughout 
the season. In contrast, it was not a good sea- 
son for migrant Peregrine Falcons in Ken- 
tucky; other than local nesting birds, there 
was only a single report from Fayette 1 1 Oct 
(DL, ASK). 
There were only three reports of Virginia 
Rail in Kentucky, including one that hew into 
a truck cab at Yellowbank W.M.A., Breckin- 
ridge 3 Nov (ph. RTa)! At least one was pres- 
ent throughout the period at Standifer Gap, 
and one was at Wal-Mart Distribution Center, 
Greene, TN 13 & 27 Sep (DMi). Single Soras 
were at Standifer Gap 18 Aug (KAC) and 13 
Sep (DJ), at Ensley 28 Sep QRW), and at the 
Wal-Mart Distribution Center, Greene, TN 18 
Oct (DMi). A Common Moorhen at the Gal- 
latin Steam Plant, Sumner, TN 2 Aug (DK) 
was the only one reported. 
A Black-bellied Plover on L. Barkley, Trigg, 
KY 23 Nov (DR) was very tardy; but a flock of 
up to 9 lingered on the Jonathan Creek em- 
bayment of Kentucky L., Marshall, through 
the last few days of Nov (HC, ME, MMi, 
BHa), and 5 were still there 30 Nov (ME). An 
American Golden-Plover at Standifer Gap 1-9 
Oct (CD, RS et al.) may represent the first Oct 
record for se. Tennessee; 2 on Kentucky L., 
Calloway, KY 1 Nov (HC) were the latest to 
he reported. There were only three reports of 
Piping Plovers, all in Tennessee: singles at 
Rankin Bottoms, Cocke 9 Aug (MS) and on 
the Mississippi R., Shelby 17 Aug ORW), and 
2 on the Mississippi R., Shelby 1 Sep QRW). 
Up to 14 Black-necked Stilts, 
rare in the Region away from sw. 
Tennessee, were in w. Fulton, KY 
5-25 Aug (DR, HC, ME). There 
were six Kentucky reports of 
American Avocet: one at the Falls 
of the Ohio 7 Aug QG et al.); 7 on 
the Mississippi R. in Hickman 17 
Aug (ph. BY, MY); one at Obion 
W.M.A., Fulton 21 (HC, ME) (Si 
25 Aug (DR); one on Kentucky 
L, Calloway 7 Oct (HC, BHa); 
one in n. Fayette 17-20 Oct (ph. 
JS, IS et al.); and one on Green 
River L., Adair 10 Nov (ph. RD). 
In Tennessee, avocets were re- 
ported three times: 10 at S. Hol- 
ston L., Sullivan 26 Aug (RKl, 
RKt, GD, m.ob.), 8 at Austin 
Springs, Washington 30 Aug 
(KN), and 2 along the Mississippi 
R., Shelby 26 Oct QRW). Three 
Hudsonian Godwits were in Hen- 
ry, TN 12 Sep (ph, MT). A Whim- 
brel was at S. Holston L., Sullivan, 
TN 26 Aug (RKt). A Spotted 
Sandpiper on Kentucky L., Mar- 
shall, KY 24 Nov (ME) was rela- 
tively late. There were only two 
reports of Willet: one below 
Smithland Dam, Livingston, KY 3 
Sep (HC, DR) and 3 on Kentucky 
L., Calloway, KY 17 Sep (HC, 
ME). A Lesser Yellowlegs on Ken- 
tucky L., Marshall, KY 29 Nov 
(DD) was tardy. Two Upland 
Sandpipers at Ensley 9 Aug (|RW, 
HC) and one at Britton Ford, 
Henry, TN 16 Sep (MT) were the 
only ones reported. 
One to 9 Ruddy Turnstones 
were seen at the Falls of the Ohio 
5-13 Sep (MY, BY, DSr et al.); sin- 
gles were at Island 13, Lake, TN 1 Sep QRW, 
NM) and at Upper Douglas L., Jefferson, TN 20 
Sep (MS, RKt, DMi et al.). Small numbers of 
Sanderlings were reported regularly at expect- 
ed locales. Over 100 
Western Sandpipers at 
Ensley 1 Aug ORW) was a 
noteworthy high count; 
16 at the Jonathan Creek 
emhayment of Kentucky 
L., Marshall, KY 19 Nov 
(HC, ME) was an excep- 
tional count for such a 
late date. There was a no- 
table flurry of sightings of 
White-rumped Sand- 
pipers — always a good 
find during fall — in the 
Region. Most appeared to he ads. and includ- 
ed an unusually early one in Washi?ig£on, TN 
10 Aug (RKt); 2 in Rowan, KY 1 Sep (ph. 
DMa); 2-7 at the Kingston Steam Plant, Roane, 
TN 1-8 Sep (FBi, EL); up to 2 at the Falls of 
the Ohio 2-9 Sep (BP, EH et al); 4 on L. 
Barkley, Trigg, KY 3 Sep (DR, HC); singles at 
two locales on Green River L., Adair, KY 4 & 
6 Sep (RD), with one still present at one of the 
sites 11 Sep (RD); 4 on L. Barkley, Lyon, KY 5 
Sep (BP, EH, MMo); one at Ensley 6 Sep (ph. 
MT, JRW); one at Upper Douglas L., Jefferson, 
TN 6-25 Sep (MS et al.); 3 at Thurston’s Pond, 
Wayne, KY 13 Sep (RD); and one at Kentucky 
L., Marshall, KY 7 Oct (HC, BHa). One to 5 
Baird’s Sandpipers were reported at normal lo- 
cales 8 Aug-7 Oct; 9 were at Ensley 7 Sep 
(JRW), and a very late individual was at Ens- 
Hudsonian Godwits rarely stop over in the Tennessee & Kentucky region during migra- 
tion, especially in fall, so these three in Henry County, Tennessee 12 September 2008 
were quite noteworthy. Photograph by Mike Todd. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 1 
93 
