This morning around 7:30 am I located a LITTLE STINT on the Yakima Delta in
Richland, WA. It was with a few other shorebirds but Least, Western and
Semipalmated Sandpipers were nearby for a good comparison. It was quite
close at first.

Before you run over here ? by the time I called others to confirm this bird,
it had flown up the delta and 2 others saw it at that greater distance. At
that distance, one could not see leg color but field marks like the reddish
appearance and white traces on the back were visible but not conclusive.
This bird is less red on the chest than the individual I found 2 years ago.
I did note the rufous crown and tertials, white throat, black bill and legs,
pair of white mantle lines. It was intermediate in size to Western and
Least Sandpipers.

If the mud remains: Directions: The Yakima River Delta is located West of
Bateman Island and the Wye neighborhood Park. If you have not been here in
the last year, things have changed with the widening of Highway 240. The
directions in The Birder?s Guide to Washington, edited by Opperman are
almost okay with the exception that the west entrance is now closed. You
must enter near Bateman Island.

>From Highway 240, take the Columbia Center Blvd exit. Turn north (toward
the Columbia River). At the end of the road, turn left, go approx ? mile.
Bateman Island and Wye Park are there. Just west of the park, take a right
on the dirt road that leads to a boat launch. The road goes between the
delta and the dike. Drive west to the end (behind the BenFranklin bus
depot). Park and walk west. A scope will be very useful.

NOTE!!!!!: If the water goes up, tomorrow could have ZERO shorebirds.

Other birds present:

Black-necked Stilt 3
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs about 5 each
Red-necked Phalaropes 2
Wilson?s Phalarope 1
Spotted Sandpiper 8
Killdeer 50
Black-crowned Night Heron (2), Great Egret (1)
Virginia Rail
Sora
Western (12), Least (6), Semipalmated (3) Sandpipers ? counts estimates as I
was concentrating on the other stint.
Caspian and Forster?s Terns
Clark?s and Western Grebes

Nancy

Bill and Nancy LaFramboise
Richland WA