Greetings Tweeters,
Yesterday, Friday, I decided to have a go for shorebirds along the coast. I
made stops at Midway Beach, Tokeland, Bottle Beach, and Johns River. There
was dense fog until about noon which greatly hampered efforts to see any
distance, especially at Tokeland. Starting at Midway Beach there was no
water in the back beach area, and so fewer shorebirds than expected. Still,
the deflation plain where the water usually is held a few birds including
the following: Snowy Plover (7); Bairds Sandpiper (4); Least Sandpiper
(15); Western Sandpiper (2); Sanderling (5), Semipalmated Plover (2); and
Killdeer (1). Moving on to Tokeland there were good numbers of Godwits,
most if not all were Marbleds, but most were too far into the fog for I.D.
Who knows, could be something there for those with better luck than I.
Shorebirds in the area included: Many Least and Western Sandpipers (most at
distance); Semipalmated Plover (6); Marbled Godwit (670); Willet (2); Ruddy
Turnstone (5); Whimbrel (4); Short-billed Dowitcher (3). About the time I
got to Bottle Beach the fog began to clear well. 1130 to 1200 was perfect
for the tides (incomming, ~ 2.5 hrs before high). The list there included:
Least Sandpiper (100); Western Sandpiper (500); Sanderling (10),
Black-bellied Plover (75); Semipalmated Plover (10); Killdeer (1); Ruddy
Turnstone (6); Whimbrel (3); Short-billed Dowitcher (70); and Greater
Yellowlegs (1). The last stop was made at John's River, about an hour
before high tide. Conditions for shorebirds there is excellent right now,
perhaps a bit low with lots of exposed mud. As usual there is a fair amout
of area that is difficult to view and this area as well was holding a far
number of shorebirds. The area was being worked by a dark adult Peregrine,
so teh shorebirds were pretty skittish. Birds included the following:
Least Sandpiper (150); Western Sandpiper (150); Semipalmated Sandpiper (2);
Pectoral Sandpiper (1 - first of season for me); Semipalmated Plover (40);
Short-billed Dowitcher (2); Greater Yellowlegs (40); Lesser Yellowlegs (10).
A Great Egret was also present here.
Good birding,
Bill Shelmerdine
Olympia
mail to: georn1 at hotmail.com

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