Subject: Am.Golden Plover at Jensen Access
Date: Aug 5 17:06:13 2001
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

Today my mother and I ventured back north to Skagit Co., mainly checking the
previously visited shorebird locations, including the Skagit City/Moore Rd.
pond, Jensen Access of the Skagit WRA, and the West 90 ponds along Samish
Island Rd., as well as checking the Stanwood STP on our way home at 1pm. We
were unable to relocate the probable White-rumped Sandpiper that was noted
yesterday morning by Scott Atkinson, but we didn't observe too many "peeps"
at Jensen Access. Our main highlight of the day was an adult breeding
plumaged AM.GOLDEN PLOVER in the plowed pea field immediately north of
Jensen Access, and to the east of the parking lot there at 8:25am, as it was
well observed and photographed to 8:45am, as Marv Breece was also able to
observe this bird alone in the same field, after he arrived at 8:30, where
it was originally noted with a flock of 32 Black-bellied Plover, which all
took off, then the single Am.Golden Plover flew back alone to the same
plowed field allowing close looks, then later it flew off towards the
exposed mudflats of Jensen Access, where it was again oberved within scoping
range. Weather conditions throughout the day consisted of mostly cloudy to
partly sunny skies with NO wind before 10am, then thickening clouds formed
by 12pm, with occasional scattered showers from Conway to Stanwood, then
improving conditions further south.

We started out at the Skagit City/Moore Rd. pond at 7am, where 2 Lesser
Yellowlegs, and a single immature Spotted Sandpiper were immediately noted
upon arrival, along with a calling Bullock's Oriole, and a single Western
Wood Pewee were both noted calling along the Black Cottonwood-lined Skagit
River, across the road from the pond. We then travelled to Jensen Access,
and birded from 7:20am to 9:25am at outgoing tide, as lighting conditions
were very favorable for scoping over the vast waterline of this location
from the dike, as we watched for shorebirds, and noted several notable
waterbird and other species including:

47 Common Loons(high count, as all birds noted in full breeding plumage,
with two birds repeadetly calling, with one calling in flight)
4 PACIFIC LOONS
16 HORNED GREBES(high count, and very early date for fall dispersal)
24 female Green-winged Teal
8 female Northern Pintail
3 female Cinnamon Teal
67 White-winged Scoters
154 Surf Scoters
240 female Common Mergansers(high count)
67 Black-bellied Plovers
22 Semipalmated Plovers
17 Greater Yellowlegs
26 Lesser Yellowlegs
56 Western Sandpipers
24 Least Sandpipers
2 Baird's Sandpipers
3 Short-billed Dowitchers
76 Long-billed Dowitchers
3 BANK SWALLOWS
3(1 1st year male, 2 females) YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS(photographed)

After birding Jensen Access, Marv followed us to the West 90 ponds, where we
arrived at 10am, as the winds began to increase, but not too bad, as we
birded all 4 active ponds until 11:20am, as other birders also arrived, just
as we were leaving including several local birders. Notable highlights
during our stay included:

18(17 female, 1 male) Green-winged Teal
2 female Northern Pintail
7 female Cinnamon Teal
3 female Blue-winged Teal
15 Lesser Yellowlegs
8 Western Sandpipers
89 Long-billed Dowitchers
1 Wilson's Phalarope
Very high numbers of swallows, including 3 BANK SWALLOWS, with other species
in abundance order: Barn, Violet-green, Tree, Cliff, and Northern
Rough-winged Swallow

At 11:45am, my mother and I arrived back at Jensen Access, where we ran into
Joe Mackie, Ruth Taylor, and Ruth Taylor who had previously birded, but the
tide was quite low, who were all chased out by a possible land owner that
was working the recently plowed field north of the actual dike, as the land
immediately east of the fence along the parking lot/dike is PRIVATE
PROPERTY, as the actual sign was knocked or blown down stating NO
TRESPASSING, where probably the best birding is at this location, so a
caution to other birders to BEWARE for future trips to this location, as we
too went beyond this sign three seperate days, and wouldn't had probably
known, if we hadn't run into Joe Mackie, but we placed the fallen sign back
upright temporarly along the dike at the base of the fence. After viewing
the exposed mudflats for 20 minutes from the "public area" of Jensen Access
along the dike, we then decided to go our seperate ways, as Joe and Ruth
went to Whidbey Island for some additional birding, then Carol followed us
to the Skagit City/Moore Rd. pond, where we rechecked the pond, as well as
showed her this location for her, as we were already heading towards home. A
few white signs are placed in the actual vegetation south of the dike
announcing "NO TRESPASSING", as you also take another risk if one decides
to venture out into the open mudflats, as deep mud is very persistant at
this location, and may look deceiving at times from the dike. Up to 3 Lesser
Yellowlegs and the immature Spotted Sandpiper were noted upon our arrival at
12:50pm, where my mother and I then headed to the Stanwood STP, where we ran
into a steady light rainshower, but we still managed to locate a few
additional highlights before we headed home, as to beat the heavy traffic
through Seattle by coming home early. Highlights at the Stanwood STP
included:

12 female Green-winged Teal
2 female Blue-winged Teal
8 female Cinnamon Teal
4(1 male,3 female)Am.Wigeon
2 male REDHEADS
1 pair of Ring-necked Ducks
4(1 male, 3 females, with 1 female with 10 young)Lesser Scaup
4 Ruddy Ducks
1 juvenal Bonaparte's Gulls


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net