Subject: [Tweeters] Curlew Sandpiper-YES, also Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Date: Sep 13 14:49:14 2005
From: Jason Paulios - jpaulios at earthlink.net


Tweeters,

Keith Brady and I were on the scene at Bottle Beach just after dawn this
AM (Tuesday). The tide was about three hours from being high and
shorebirds were pretty far away. We scanned for about two hours without
seeing the Curlew Sandpiper. A lone LONGSPUR SP. (probably LAPLAND)
flew over doing the rattle call, but never landed. I did find one
SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER quite high up on the beach with a flock of
Semipalmated Plovers, so it seemed we'd have a consolation prize today.
Stefan Schlick joined us soon after and also got to see the Sharp-tailed.

Around 10:00 (I think) we were joined by Bart Whelton and still no
Curlew. Of course this would be the time I decided to check on the
passerine movements along the trail. I heard what I thought might have
been a shout and some whistling, but tuned it out for some reason. Then
the Peregrine came...

So Stefan and I missed out on the first sighting of the CURLEW SANDPIPER
and the Peregrine chased the flock (it was with Westerns) out over the
open water. About 25 agonizing minutes later the flock came back!
After watching the bird for a few minutes the Sullivans joined us. I
think we left around 12:30 or so and the bird was still present.

Other birds around:
BB Plover
1 Red Knot
10 Dowitcher sp.
Sanderlings (some in their real nifty juvenile plumage)
Western Sandpiper
1 Common Snipe (along water on the trail)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Purple Finch

Jason Paulios
Jpaulios at earthlink.net
Olympia, WA