To celebrate the 220th anniversary of our nation, 17 Least Sandpipers, 2
Western Sandpipers and one Lesser Yellowlegs gathered at the Fill today.

I also made it over to the Kent (formerly) Ponds. It would seem that the
shorebirding is over for the moment there. Ditches constructed since the
summer now drain *all* the water out of the large southern ponds which
were so productive earlier this year and last fall. A huge pile of dirt
is in the southeastern pond, which is being spread out. I assume the goal
of all this is to raise the level of the soil, making it harder for water
to accumulate, and ending the possibilities of shorebirding here.

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Michael R. Smith
Univ. of Washington, Seattle
whimbrel at u.washington.edu
http://salmo.cqs.washington.edu/~wagap/mike/mike.html