Subject: Red Knots at the Kennedy Creek Estuary
Date: Apr 25 19:33:30 2002
From: Ruth Sullivan - GODWIT at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

This afternoon and early evening my mother and I took advantage of the good
weather and decided to check on the shorebird migration at the Kennedy Creek
Estuary in southern Mason Co. and associated areas, which greatly appears to
be very good with increased numbers of several species of migrating
shorebirds and spectacular views and close looks at the shorebirds as they
foraged at close range at incoming tide during our 30 minute visit. We
arrived at 3pm at the Kennedy Creek Estuary 2.5 hours before the 13.4
expected high tide and immediately noted good numbers of foraging shorebirds
that were soon drawn in closer by the tide conditions. The main shorebird
highlights here among the 8 shorebird species noted was 2 breeding plumaged
RED KNOTS, which was a personal Mason Co. and WA year bird for us. We were
amazed at the overall numbers of shorebirds at this location overall,as we
haven't personal noted the diversity present today at this location in
several years in late April. Other notable species during our visit
included:

225 Black-bellied Plovers(220 birds in breeding plumage, 5 birds in
nonbreeding plumage)
3 Semipalmated Plovers in nonbreeding plumage
3 Greater Yellowlegs
2 RED KNOTS
670+ Western Sandpipers
42 Least Sandpipers
1,380+ Dunlin
14 Short-billed Dowitchers
9 Caspian Terns

Our only Turkey Vulture of the evening was a single bird flying over the
Hwy.101/Hwy.8 interchange,as we headed to Mud Bay.

After thouroughly scoping the shorebirds at the Kennedy Creek Estuary we
headed to Mud Bay and along Madrona Beach Rd. at the mouth of Perry Creek to
make a quick check of the shorebird diversity here with the following noted
species:

5 Horned Grebes in breeding plumage
11 Black-bellied Plovers(7 birds in breeding plumage, 4 in nonbreeding
plumage)
2 Greater Yellowlegs
62 Western Sandpipers
12 Least Sandpipers
175+ Dunlin

A quick check at Black Lake Meadows to check the surrounding and water
levels produced a few notable highlights including:

1 Sora(heard only)
1 Common Snipe
2 Northern Rough-winged Swallows
12 adult Golden-crowned Sparrows
2 Purple Finches
2 Red Crossbills

Next, on our way to the Nisqually NWR my mother and I stopped by the "old"
Lacey Clearcut(ouside of the "No Trespassing" gated area, where we located
our first California Darners of the season,which we have noted on an early
date at this location in the past few years. An adult Great Horned Owl with
one owlet, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, and 2 Chipping Sparrows were also noted
during our brief stay.

Our final stop of the day was made at the Nisqually NWR at 4:50pm-6pm,where
we mainly just checked the entrance wetland and pond/shorebird habitat
areas. Compared to our Sunday visit shorebird numbers were much decreased as
were other species,but we did manage to locate a few species along with a
Long-tailed Weasel along the Nisqually Loop trail. Notable species observed
during our visit included:

8 "Cackling"Canada Geese
1 pair of Wood Ducks
1 pair of Cinnamon Teal
1 female Greater Scaup on the entrance display pond
1 Ring-necked Pheasant(heard only)
2 Greater Yellowlegs
24 Western Sandpipers
68 Least Sandpipers
2 Brown Creepers
13 Am.Pipits
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
good numbers of lingering Yellow-rumped"Myrtle" Warblers
43 Savannah Sparrows


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
GODWIT at worldnet.att.net