Subject: [Tweeters] Saturday/Sunday in E. WA - shorebirds
Date: Aug 20 08:49:36 2012
From: Michael Hobbs - BirdMarymoor at frontier.com


Saturday, I started at the Sprague STP, which was full of shorebirds, but
had nothing terribly unusual. I could not find the Stilt Sandpiper that had
been reported there. I did manage to identify 13 species of shorebird,
though, including SEMIPALMATED, BAIRD'S and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and both
WILSON'S and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES.

Sheep Lake, just over the line into Whitman County, was fairly quiet, though
I did find KILLDEER, BLACK-NECKED STILT, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE.

Probably my biggest surprise of the day was an adult TUNDRA SWAN in the
northern-most pond along SR-23 (Lincoln Co.) while heading back to Sprague.

Reardon had some pretty good shorebird viewing, though again nothing
particularly rare. I did have a couple of SOLITARY SANDPIPERS there. Also
of interest were VIEWS of both Virginia Rail and Sora, just walking around
in the open.

Having found all of the expected shorebirds in Lincoln County (but failing
to find any Stilt Sandpipers - oh well), I decided to try my luck in Spokane
County. My first stop was the 57th Avenue ponds, which had a couple of
KILLDEER, one LEAST SANDPIPER, and 3-4 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS. The Upper
Columbia Academy (UCA) ponds in Spangle were very quiet, but there was one
WILSON'S PHALAROPE.

Phileo Lake continues to frustrate me! There were no shorebirds on the
great looking mud flats at the south end. There were a few on the far
shore about half-way up the lake, but the distance and the heat shimmer made
identification impossible. The only birds I was able to ID there were
KILLDEER and one GREATER YELLOWLEGS, but for all I know there was a flock of
Bristle-thighed Curlews jousting with breeding plumage Ruffs as well. All
such fantasies, though, would have been hidden behind the real, and very
visible large flocks of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS.

My attempts at finding shorebirds at Turnbull NWR were futile - I only found
KILLDEER and SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Finally, I tried West Medical Lake, where
there were a half-dozen BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS walking on the floating algal
mats.

Sunday, I had only a few hours, so I tried finding shorebirds in Wenatchee,
and managed a SIX SHOREBIRD DAY IN CHELAN COUNTY! Water levels were low
when I arrived around 9 a.m. Viewing the mud spits from Walla Walla park, I
found KILLDEER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and a single LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. The
muddy corner near the swimming area at Walla Walla park added WESTERN and
LEAST SANDPIPERS (a grand total of 4 peep individuals there).

I then went over to the Wenatchee Confluence State Park campground and found
that there was mud visible right at the river mouth. I had to run back to
my car to get my scope, and when I returned, rising water levels had "eaten"
one of the 3 sand bars in the preceding 5 minutes! Over the next 5 minutes,
I frantically scoped the remaining mud as it disappeared under deeper and
deeper waters. I found a couple more WESTERN SANDPIPERS, a LEAST SANDPIPER,
and one PECTORAL SANDPIPER! And then there was no more mud and no more
shorebirds.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland, WA
== http://www.marymoor.org/birding.htm
== http://www.marymoor.org/BirdBlog.htm
== birdmarymoor at frontier.com