Subject: [Tweeters] Solitary Sandpipers, Pierce County
Date: Aug 13 18:23:40 2005
From: Charlie Wright - c.wright7 at comcast.net
Hello All
I did some birding today (13 August 2005) on the Foothills Trail, covering
about 5 miles from the South Prairie parking lot to Crocker. At the fairly
new "REI wetlands" were FIVE Solitary Sandpipers. These ponds have excellent
mud right now, unlike most spots I know of in the area. This is the most
Solitary Sandpipers I've seen in w WA in the fall. Other interesting
observations are below.
FOOTHILLS TRAIL (12:00PM-4:00PM):
Pied-billed Grebe (1)-REI wetland
Turkey Vulture (10)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (4)
Cooper's Hawk (1)
American Kestrel (1)
Virginia Rail (1)
Solitary Sandpiper (5)
Spotted Sandpiper (7)
Vaux's Swift (55)
Pileated Woodpecker (1)
Western Wood-Pewee (18)
Cassin's Vireo (2)
Red-eyed Vireo (9)-singing today; a few days ago they were silent.
Violet-green Swallow (275)
Barn Swallow (195)
Bushtit (75)
Swainson's Thrush (4)-low.
Yellow Warbler (8)
Black-throated Gray Warbler (14)
Wilson's Warbler (7)
Western Tanager (5)
Black-headed Grosbeak (1)-low.
Also 13 species of butterflies, and nearly that many dragonflies. Among the
dragonflies were 4 Black Saddlebags at the REI wetlands, an unusual
occurance on the westside, and perhaps representing breeding at this site.
Charlie Wright
Bonney Lake, Washington