Subject: [Tweeters] SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER Ridgefield NWR
Date: Sep 21 23:17:49 2006
From: Jim Danzenbaker - jdanzenbaker at brunton.com


Tweeters,



I visited Ridgefield NWR this afternoon from 4:30-5:45 hoping that the
change in the weather had brought some shorebirds. I was rewarded with
a single juv SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER in the southeastern quadrant of Rest
Lake. It fed with a group of Least Sandpipers and one Pectoral
Sandpiper (good comparison). The flared supercilium, rufous crown and
buffy breast were very obvious although I felt that it was a different
bird than the one photographed this weekend



Shorebirds were:



SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER 1

Pectoral Sandpiper 6

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER 1

Semipalmated Plover 4

Killdeer 10

Red-necked Phalarope 2

Greater Yellowlegs 1

Long-billed Dowitcher 3

Least Sandpiper ~15

Western Sandpiper ~6



It was good to see some small flocks of Sandhill Cranes, the first I've
seen this season.



Meanwhile, birds were going bonkers in Battle Ground this morning. My
local flock of 20 Cedar Waxwings swelled to about 250 with swirling
groups all over the area visible from the back deck all morning. Also,
Yellow Warblers were plentiful and the American Goldfinch number also
grew to about 25 from the usual 10. Firsts for the season were:



Pine Siskin: 4

Evening Grosbeak: 6

Varied Thrush: 1

Purple Finch: 5

Peregrine: 1 (first for the yard this year)



I wonder what will be blown in tonight.........



Get Out There and Bird!



Jim Danzenbaker

Battle Ground, Wa, Clark County

360-723-0345