Tweeters,

Just when everyone thought summer had finally started, fall migration is
already underway!!! Jamie Acker and I (George Gerdts) spent two hours birding
around the Three Crabs Restaurant, Helen's Pond, and the estuary behind Gary
Lang's octagonal house across from Helen's Pond in Ssequim. We had 12 adult
WESTERN SANDPIPERS in quite sharp plumage. One adult SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER
was feeding amongst the Westerns for a nice comparison. Perhaps these early
returnees are failed nesters? We did not see any Least Sandpipers. On the
mud flats there were 20+ BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 1 MARBLED GODWIT, 15 WHIMBREL,
and 1 LONG-BILLED CURLEW. No shorebirds at Helen's Pond, but a VIRGINIA RAIL
walked out of the Salicornia and flew across the pond landing in the
cattails along the fence. The parasitic Salt Marsh Dodder (Cuscuta salina) is
widespread in the area this year, giving the Salicornia that is being parasitized
the look of having had orange paint splashed all over it! Surprising
behavior, we thought, for a rail in the middle of a Sunday afternoon! Enjoy the
rest of summer!!

George Gerdts
Bainbridge Island
_geopandion at aol.com_ (mailto:geopandion at aol.com)



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