Subject: [Tweeters] new shorebird photos from Perch Point
Date: Aug 29 21:06:51 2005
From: Denny Granstrand - dgranstrand at charter.net


Hi Tweeters,

Before and after the WOS board meeting in Othello yesterday I went
searching for shorebirds.

At the McCain ponds near Othello with Bob Flores and Carol Shultz, we found
good numbers of shorebirds including three Stilt Sandpipers. We also found
many Black-necked Stilts, six American Avocets plus numerous Wilson's and
Red-necked Phalaropes.

After the meeting I went to Lind Coulee and was joined by Doug
Schonewald. Stilt Sandpiper numbers were noticeably down from the Sunday
before when Andy Stepniewski and I were there. We saw only six in the area
of the coulee viewed from the gravel road west of M Road. There were also
many fewer Semipalmated Sandpipers, with only five or six seen
yesterday. As we left Lind Coulee and got back onto M Road, the mouth of
Lind Coulee was visible to the west of M Road with many shorebirds in
sight. There is a turnout just north of Lind Coulee to the west of M Road,
which gave us a good view but with very poor afternoon light. In that area
there were about 30 Stilt Sandpipers. Because of the light, I didn't
attempt to separate the Semipalmated Sandpipers from the other peeps.

From the south side of Perch Point, with wonderful light, I counted 43
more Stilt Sandpipers and four Semipalmated Sandpipers among many peeps
including the only Least Sandpipers I saw yesterday. Other highlights were
a high count of 94 Great Egrets (my second highest count at one location in
Washington), one Baird's Sandpiper, one Pectoral Sandpiper, and two
juvenile Short-billed Dowitchers.

At Perch Point, I was able to get photos of several Stilt Sandpipers
(juveniles molting into first winter plumage), a nice comparison of
juvenile Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers and a Red-necked Phalarope
nicely perched atop a rock. You can see the photos in the new photos
folder on my website.

For the day I saw 17 species of shorebirds. The total count of Stilt
Sandpipers was 82.

Denny Granstrand
Yakima, WA


* Denny Granstrand *
* Yakima, WA *
* dgranstrand at charter.net *
* Denny's bird photos can be seen online at: *
http://granstrand.net/gallery/