Subject: Kent-Auburn area shorebirds
Date: Aug 5 16:58:44 2003
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Hello Tweets,

This afternoon my mother and I spent a few hours between 12:45pm-2:30pm checking a few Kent/Auburn areas for shorebirds,specifically the shorebird area that Marv Breece described in his Tweeters posting yesterday just south of the Toysmith building along 72nd Ave. SE,which is accessed south of 277th Street in Auburn(east of SR 167). The actual shorebird location can be well viewed as Marv indicated directly from the road and is still quite full of water,but ample mud is apparent for shorebird feeding,as well as along the surrounding "pond",which may be subject to later development. We arrived at 12:45pm and almost immediately located the juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper that Marv previously reported yesterday amongst a flock of 22 Western Sandpipers and up to 14 Least Sandpipers with nearby Killdeers for a total of 4 shorebird species during our visit. The Semipalmated Sandpiper was easily picked out and separated from the other "peeps" by the straight,stubby bill that appeared blunt-tipped and going by the length of the bill this bird was thought to be a female. The evenly smooth brown washed upperbreast and relatively smooth gray-brown mantle contrasting to the noticeable fairly broad white supercillium were also observed along with the noticeable longer winged primary projection noted at very close range and during most of our visit the Semipalmated Sandpiper was the closest "peep" to the road,feeding less deliberately than the nearby longer,droopier-billed Western Sandpipers. This was a very good look at all three species of "peep" for great comparison to anyone that would enjoy seeing them at close range,although this location would or could host different diversity during each visit. Nevertheless this spot is with checking through the fall for anyone that is in the area,primarily for shorebirds. Other noted species that were observed during our visit included:

4 Northern Shovelers
1 female Northern Harrier
1 Red-tailed Hawk


Next, we drove north along West Valley Freeway into Kent to the "old" Kent Ponds currently referred to as the Green River Natural Resource Area in Kent. The two main areas that we visited in the vast area were accessed from two locations including access from S 226th Street,which is off of 64th Ave. S and a better viewing area accessed along 64th Ave. S.(north of 226th St. Ave.)and directly across from the Kent Centre Corporate Park between S&S Welding Corporation and the Web Press Corporation. There is a paved pulloff along 64th Ave. S. between these two buildings that is open to the public that takes you up along a rise that overlooks the open wetland area of the complex that now seems to be slowly drying with some exposed shoreline,especially along the eastern edge of the entire complex that is most visible.There is a wooden bench for sitting north of the small access trail onto the rise from the paved pulloff,but the area to the south of the pulloff is where we encountered a small flock of shorebirds,despite the activity of a work crew within the complex clearing out vegetation,trimming the edges,etc. We arrived during a brief light rain shower,but were able to scope the edges well from the above the complex,which at this location should be checked more regularly by birders for migrating shorebirds with the potential for Stilt or Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and possibly Ruff this fall,going by the habitat we observed. Our best shorebird highlight was 2 adult Pectoral Sandpipers that foraged loosely amongst a flock of 8 Long-billed Dowitchers and a single Lesser Yellowlegs nearby. The latter location described allows probably the best viewing of the complex since you are up higher and can look down by scanning or scoping the available shoreline,as well as the open water areas within the large complex. The access from 226th Street allows good views of the more open water areas,but little shoreline is available from this access and you are more level to the ground for viewing purposes. Other notable species observed during our visit to the "old" Kent Ponds(GRNRA)included the following:

16 Pied-billed Grebes(3 adults,13 juveniles)
1 Double-crested Cormorant(flying over)
1 adult Green Heron
4 Green-winged Teal
5 Northern Shovelers
1 Blue-winged Teal
13 Cinnamon Teal
1 eclipse male Bufflehead
7 Am.Coots
2 Spotted Sandpipers
13 Least Sandpipers
1 Wilson's Snipe
1 Purple Martin(flying over amongst good numbers of several species of foraging swallows)


Good birding,

Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
godwit at worldnet.att.net
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