Subject: [Tweeters] Black-throated Sparrow; baby shorebirds
Date: Jun 20 07:33:47 2011
From: Michael Donahue - bfalbatross at gmail.com


Alan Knue and I went to eastern Washington yesterday. Our targets were baby
shorebirds?we really wanted to see stiltlets, phalaroplings, and avocettes.

En route to the Columbia Basin we took a quick detour to look for the
Black-throated Sparrow at Vantage. We found the bird at the trailhead. It
was singing on the hillside south of the trail then flew across the road to
the top of the ridge. We also had Lark Sparrow here, and a Barn Owl flew out
of the elderberry thicket and landed on the cliff face across the road.


Heading east, we stopped at the sewage ponds along I-90 west of the Dodson
Road exit. We had a half-grown stilt and two baby avocets. The avocettes
were probably only a few days old. We also saw an avocet sitting on a nest
so more avocettes are due soon. No phalaropes here or along Dodson Road.
County line ponds netted more stilts and avocets (but no chicks) and a male
phalarope that slunk out of the water and onto a grassy island?to a nest or
to brood chicks? A return route along Para Ponds and through the Columbian
NWR did not yield phalaropes either. I?d really like to see phalaroplings
which I?m sure will be out in the next week or so. I?ll probably check
county line ponds again but if anyone has any other suggestions as to where
to find them, please let me know.

Mike Donahue
Seattle
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