Subject: [Tweeters] Saturday at Nisqually, and Luhr Beach
Date: Oct 9 06:07:00 2011
From: bill shelmerdine - georn1 at hotmail.com



Good morning,
Many people visited Nisqually yesterday in search of rare shorebirds. There were plenty of observers around beginning by 0730, perhaps earlier. I left at 1230 or so, but talked to others who lingered until at least 2:30 when the tides seemed about optimum. As far as I know neither the Ruff nor the Ringed Plover were seen. There were still a few shorebirds around but fewer numbers than earlier in the week. Shorebirds included many Long-billed and at least a couple of Short-billed Dowitcher, Black-bellied Plover, Pectoral (3+) and Western Sandpiper, Sanderling (1-2), Dunlin, Greater Yellowlegs, and Wilsons Snipe. A couple of Peregrines and one fly-by Merlin stirred things up a bit. Many Cackling Geese and a number of White-fronted Geese were hanging out on the other side of I-5 along Nisqually Cut-off Road. The fields there are not plowed and not particularly attractive at the moment. The pumpkin fields had too many pumpkin seekers - maybe next month... At 2:00 I spent about an hour at Luhr Beach. There were large numbers of waterfowl and gulls, though most were across the delta near the Nisqually River and way to far to I.D. Out on Nisqually Reach there were large numbers of Boneparte's Gulls working the current lines. The best bird of the day was a sub adult, light phase Parasitic Jeager chasing the Boneparte's Gulls.
Good luck and good birding
Bill Shelmerdine, Olympia
Mailto: georn1 at hotmail.com