Took a swing by the Fill (or the Union Bay Natural Area for those who
prefer) this afternoon to check out passing shorebirds. The central pond was
the place to be, with my first pectoral sandpiper searching the mud on the
west side, along with a long-billed dowitcher, a spotless spotty and half a
dozen or so each of western sandpipers and killdeer. The westerns were
obliging enough to stand right by the pectoral for a size comparison at one
point, but not obliging enough to grow their wings and turn into Baird's, no
matter how long I stared. The dowitcher didn't care much for the pectoral,
and saw it off when it got too close.



The mud along the waterway pond by the stadium was empty of peeps, though it
contained the first coot I've seen in a couple of months, and the Shoveler
pond is sadly no more. A nice afternoon for a quick and productive trip out.



Louise Rutter

Kirkland