Hi all,

The Aero Road pond (just south of I-90 exit 272 west of Spokane) has dried up and has great mud. I stopped to check out the birds this afternoon and found a single adult SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER there. Other shorebirds included 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, and a few KILLDEER. Two RING-BILLED GULLS, a GREAT BLUE HERON, 10 MALLARDS, 1 AMERICAN WIGEON, and 1 CINNAMON TEAL rounded out the rest of the birds. Swallows were in the area as well, but I was focused on the shorebirds.

In a different pond off of Thomas Mallen Road, I found a single WILSON'S PHALAROPE.

Let the fall shorebirding begin!

Tim O'Brien
Cheney, WA
mailto: kertim7179 at yahoo dot com