Rare sighting of a Roseated Spoonbill
By John Pollpeter, Lead Naturalist at Woodlands Nature Station
Birders got an extra treat this August as a Roseated Spoonbill, an unusual wading bird from Florida and the Gulf Coast, decided to visit Land Between the Lakes. The bird stayed around for about two weeks.
The spoonbill foraged at the Long Creek Refuge at the corner of Highway US68/KY80 and Energy Lake Road near Barkley Bridge. This man-made wetland refuge is one of the most popular birding spots in Land Between The Lakes.
Roseated spoonbills have visited Land Between the Lakes before along Honker Lake a few years back.
If you are interested in birding in Land Between The Lakes, here are the Top Ten Birding Hotspots around Land Between The Lakes:
• Long Creek Refuge (year-round)
• Woodlands Nature Watch (year-round)
• Woodlands Nature Station (year-round)
• Elk & Bison Prairie (year-round)
• Barkley Dam-Gilbertsville, KY (late Fall-early Spring)
• Kentucky Dam-Kuttawa, KY (late Fall-early Spring)
• Duncan Lake-Road 132 (late Fall-early Spring)
• Energy Lake/ Ferguson Spring (late Fall-early Summer)
• Fort Henry Trails (early Spring-early Summer)
• Twin Lakes Lake Access (early Spring-early Summer)
Happy birding!
John
