This AM Carolyn and I saw the following birds behind KMart on the almost dried up remnants of Mill Creek.

2 American avocets
4 yellowlegs--3 lesser, 1 greater (I think)--it was very interesting to see these side by side
2 solitary sandpipers
2 long-billed dowitchers
1 least sandpiper
1 Caspian tern
hordes of killdeer

I am interested in the changing frequencies of some of these birds reported over the years. I compared 3 lists of birds from the Walla Walla area--one old one, one from 1988, and one from 2003.

Frequencies in the summer appear to have changed as follows.

old 1988 2003
Avocet -- u c
Solitary Sandpiper -- -- o
Least Sandpiper -- o c


Now it seems to me that a change such as with the solitary sandpiper could easily be explained by more birders over more time seeing a few of these birds. However, with the avocet and the least sandpiper, going from not seen to being common, I suspect that there has actually been a change in the frequency of these birds in our area. Anybody have any thoughts? Mike and MerryLynn?

Joe Corvino
Walla Walla
email: corvinojm at aya.yale.edu




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