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TOS Rankin WMA trip announcement




I know some folks in Western NC are familiar with Rankin WMA (a.k.a.
Rankin Bottoms) on Douglas Lake just across the stateline in Cocke
County, TN.  In the summer, Rankin is flooded creating a wide
expanse of grassy marshes and floded wooded areas.  A canoe trip
here has more the feel of the Everglades than East TN with coots,
grebes and heron, egret and cormorant rookeries.  In the fall, as
TVA lowers the lake level, huge mudflats are exposed briefly providing
wonderful habitat for shorebirds.  Waders and eagles also show up
to take advantage of the fish trapped in pools.  It is not unusual
to see over 200 Great Egrets.  Juvenile Ruffs have been seen the
last two years and Red Phalarope two of the last four years.  A
Piping Plover was spotted earlier this week.

Below is an announcement for an upcoming field trip hosted by the
Knoxville chater of the Tennessee Ornithological Society to be
held tomorrow, Saturday, 9 September.  I thought I would extend
the invitation to the "folks across the mountain" as well.  You
can meet us at Exit 417 on I-40 at around 1:00.  Direct directions
are as follows.

Take Exit 432-B on I-40 to US Hwy 25W heading into Newport, TN.
Follow Hwy 25W for about 2-3 miles to the intersection with
Hwy 25E.  Turn left at the light onto Hwy 25E which is a two-lane
road.  Within about a mile, the road will briefly widen to include
a short center turn lane.  At this point, turn right onto Industrial
Park Road (called Rankin Road on most maps).  Follow this road for
a few miles.  Past the industrial park, you will cross a set of
railroad tracks then come to an intersection.  Turn left here,
just before the bridge over the lake.  You will quickly come to
another intersection, continue straight on the smaller road (not
up the hill).  Follow this road past the houses to it's bitter
end.  It will turn to a dirt road, then gravel, follow directly
alongside the railroad tracks, turn back to dirt with huge ruts
and potholes and eventually get you to Rankin.

There's a MapQuest link below but I won't guarantee that it works.

This is getting way too long so I'll sign off now with map link
and announcement below.

Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN
kde@angst.engr.utk.edu

--------------
A MapQuest map has been sent to you by kde@angst.engr.utk.edu.<br><br>
To view your map, click on this link or cut and paste this link into
your browser's location bar.
<a href="http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?email=1&mapdata=yNJu1Eg45feLL6w4yS8MYOfvVZl84lbgg3X%2fCk70IYqY7zAMZwXz2ZuXtWqZgjrup9OmE4VM2v6SBPt83%2fxXcfDap7b7GjEVZjojhKhzWAJ3TWter3QQSBIzRyNWGLqueN7PZzQ7kLWDjn5Y%2fJB%2bmnPsVD6AGcXtuQYR2wcgisQaNBQO3N10hencPJ8VegLmhRd1jRnhQvmlOhrBa%2bea5645iSS1cpL%2fZv7ws1JrX8oMdTlNiukcUgD%2bcJj6fOTEAc3UC2cazUwAZhi9PK6abbIv%2fAel1lMqGWYJz18u%2fEKErPIFQXot%2bkVxk%2fLqeTJCsLzmDbYI8Zav98%2fXhddVY%2f3mtpZvCWBxlFS8oOG3qTJshv57vIBVPQ%2bBBq34MH%2fSs%2fLrUvDbueSz%2bfvkmGIC4qOzI7YxnOufjsmPlzq%2bYdDTsmEDSedVNUEmQuf86O8VUpWsUWk7%2fSdzBxWTYblIT8wnQYNjMXoNpwBazlk3pa%2bMFAWnZZ6YNhHYV8Cs5Vy3venOVrHv8M7pW1gQVEskkGpFq4ioo9d8S9jmynQNv1QDxqwRPdP4gQ%3d%3d";>http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?email=1&mapdat</a><br><br>MapQuest.com is the Web's leading provider of free Maps and Driving Directions. Visit us today at <a href="http://www.mapquest.com";>www.mapquest.com</a>.




---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 11:06:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: K Dean EDWARDS <kde@angst.engr.utk.edu>
To: Tennessee Birds <tn-bird@freelists.org>
Subject: [TN-Bird] Rankin trip reminder



Thought I would remind everyone about the upcoming KTOS field trip to
Rankin WMA in Cocke Co., TN, tomorrow, Saturday, 6 September.  We will
leave our customary meeting place on Cedar Bluff Road in West Knoxville
at noon.  The original announcement is below.  Water levels may be too
low for canoeing around the tipple area at Rankin but there are
probably other spots in the area that would be good.  I haven't talked
to Mike and Leslie this week so can't confirm the statement below that
they might be there with canoes.

According to the TVA website, Douglas Lake will be around 981 ft which
means there will be lots of excellent shorebird habitat.  The lake-bed
road should be mostly exposed though I suspect the lowest part will
still be under a few inches of water.

Weather looks good.  Hope to see a lot of folks out there.

Dean Edwards
Knoxville, TN


-----------------------------------------------------

Saturday, September 6, 2003
Rankin WMA, Cocke Co., TN
Leader: Dean Edwards (560-9701, cell: 660-9701)

We will meet at the Stokely Building parking lot 320 N. Cedar Bluff Road
at 12 noon. The drive to Rankin Bottoms from Knoxville is approximately
1 hour.  We will stop at the Hardee's at Exit 417 on I-40 in Dandridge
around 12:45-1:00 as a secondary rendezvous point and for a last-chance
food and restroom break.

The proposed Rankin Festival originally scheduled for this date has been
canceled due to logistic problems, but Michael Sledjeski and Leslie
Gibbens of the Rankin Project (founded to preserve and protect Rankin
Bottoms) will likely be on-hand to offer canoe tours later in the day.

Rankin is remote and open with little shade and no food or restrooms
nearby.  Some of us will likely stay until sunset when the waders
come to roost.  Bring plenty of food and drink, shoes you can get
muddy and sunscreen.  There will be little walking; lawn chairs can
be very useful.  A scope is required to see many of the birds but
there should be plenty on-hand to share.

The trip is planned to coincide with the drawdown of Douglas Lake to
levels which provide excellent habitat for migrating shorebirds
including Black-bellied Plover, American Golden-Plover, Sanderling,
dowitchers, Stilt, Buff-breasted and Baird's Sandpipers and many
other more common species.  Past trips have found Ruff, Marbled
Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Willet, and Wilson's and Red Phalaropes.

In addition to shorebirds, we should find many species of herons,
egrets, ducks, terns and swallows as well as Willow Flycatcher,
Warbling Vireo and Prothonotary Warbler.  In past years, we have had
Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, and White Ibis.