One overlooked spot for shorebirds on the east side of the state is
Confluence State Park on the north end of Wenatchee. Chelan County doesn't
appear to have many quality shorebirding spots other than here.

On Saturday (8/9) Lorna and I checked the small pond between the campground
and the river and found Least (2), Western (about 20), and Pectoral (about
6 or 8) Sandpipers. From other postings I see this was a good weekend for
the arrival of the Pectoral Sandpipers.

Further on we found a single Long-billed Dowitcher at the duck pond in the
center of the nature area and a probable Semipalmated Sandpiper on the mud
flats at the south end of the nature area. Throughout the area we had
scattered Spotted Sandpipers and many Killdeer.

The dowitcher and pectoral sandpipers were both county birds for me.

We also noticed that the Eastern Kingbirds had a very good year. Almost
every hundred feet we would encounter a new group of begging young and a
busy parent.


Jerry Tangren <tangren at wsu.edu>