Subject: [Tweeters] Spokane & Whitman Co. Red Phalaropes
Date: Aug 17 19:24:47 2005
From: Gina Sheridan - gsherida8502 at yahoo.com



This morning (8/17/05), Michael & Roger Woodruff,
Garrett MacDonald, Paula, and myself visited Philleo
Lake (west of Spangle in Spokane Co.). Cool and
overcast weather turned rainy by 9:00 AM, but we had
arrived early and managed to see quite a few
interesting shorebirds.

Upon our arrival, a flock of over twenty BLACK TERNs
flew over the lake. Meanwhile, a sizeable number of
BANK and CLIFF SWALLOWs hovered over the water. As we
walked down the hill, a Mule Deer buck bolted out of
the woods.

On the northern lake terminus, there were a couple of
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS, SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, KILLDEER, WESTERN
SANDPIPERS, eleven STILT SANDPIPERS, one RED-NECKED
PHALAROPE, and plenty of BAIRD'S SANDPIPERs.

On the south end, we could see a couple of dowitchers
and WILSON'S PHALAROPEs through the screen of
Ponderosa Pines. When we walked down to the fenceline
for a better view, we were delighted to discover a
RED PHALAROPE (juvenile that seems to be molting into
first basic plumage) bopping around with a few
RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs for nice size comparison.

As an added bonus, we had one LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER
and a two juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERs. The SB
Dowitchers exhibited the golden edged mantle and
tertials that are characteristic of the prairie race.

Everyone increased their county lists or even ABA life
lists this morning. As for myself, I added two Spokane
County lifers (SB Dowitcher & Red Phalarope). As I
continued on farther south on Philleo Lake Road and
Cheney-Spangle Road, I ran into several large family
groups of CALIFORNIA QUAIL, and one family of GRAY
PARTRIDGE.

Since I had a few more hours to bird, I drove on out
to Sheep Lake in Whitman County. On the previous day,
Jim Acton had seen a Sanderling on Sheep Lake. When I
arrived, it was still raining.

Fortunately, I easily found the juvenile SANDERLING
toward the southern end of the lake. The peep clan was
well represented with LEAST, WESTERN, BAIRD'S, and
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. At least 80 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES were distributed across the lake, and there
was one juvenile RED PHALAROPE as well! Four WHITE
PELICANS and a couple of STILT SANDPIPERS, SOLITARY
SANDPIPERS, and SPOTTED SANDPIPERs helped to round out
the species mix.

Needless to say the Sanderling and Red Phalarope were
both new tics for my Whitman County list. I just wish
that I would have had time to bird Reardan today too.
I wonder if there was a Red Phalarope waiting for a
lucky birder there too?

Gina Sheridan
Spokane, WA


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