>9.21.94
>Hi Tweeters,
>
>A juv. *Sharp-tailed Sandpiper* today at the Reifel Refuge in Ladner, first
>of the yr, couple wks later than usual. When there's the strong, persistent
>High over this part of the coast this time of the yr. there doesn't seem to
>be a reason for them to stop here; they just barrel on through to---? Takes
>a good rumbustious Pacific Low to stop 'em in their tracks.
>
>2.
>if anyone's thinking of twitching for the Blackie Spit Yellow-billed Loon,
>seen on Mon Sep 19, there's strong evidence it was a mis-ID'ed Common Loon.
>The alt-plumaged Pt. Roberts YBLO was a good ID, though.
>
>Cheers,
>Michael Price
>Vancouver, Canada
>
>michael_price at mindlink.bc.ca

Just to add to Michael's comments, the Sharp-tail is a spectacular example
of wrong-hemisphere migration. I have often wondered if the ones that come
down the American Pacific coast were just pulled in by the flocks of
Pectorals that breed in Siberia but winter in the Americas (I think they're
the source of most of our Pacific coast Pectorals), but people have
reported pure flocks of Sharp-tails in Alaska. Hundreds move through Alaska
and small numbers south of that down to Oregon and, sparingly, California,
yet there are no records south of California. It may be that wandering
Sharp-tails set out across the vast Pacific on routes similar to those used
by Pacific Golden-plovers, Wandering Tattlers and Ruddy Turnstones, and
winter on tropical islands rather than Australia, where most of them go. We
need a lot more surveillance of western Mexico, especially good shorebird
habitats in Baja in the fall. If all of these species really had tapered
off by that latitude, it would support the idea that they were heading out
over the Pacific. Anybody want to volunteer for the Great Baja Wader
Extravaganza?

Counter to Michael's hypothesis, I have speculated that in years of certain
weather patterns (like this year), maybe far fewer Sharp-tails (and
Siberian Pectorals) even cross into Alaska from the west. There usually
seem to be fewer Ruffs in those years, also. And I guess they should be bad
years for Siberian vagrant shorebirds, too, although there may not be
enough data to confirm or reject that hypothesis.

But this has been a generally rotten fall for shorebirds, at least on the
WA coast, and it's entirely possible that the lack of bad weather is
involved--for example, where are the Buff-breasts, a species that
presumably comes from the east?

Dennis Paulson