My loop walk through Bellevue's Lake Hills Greenbelt (LHG) early yesterday
yielded up one of the most surprising birds I've ever seen in there yet, a
DUNLIN !!! Spotted at 0540hrs flying about 30' above the south shore of
Phantom Lake, I delightedly assumed the logical though rarish even there, a
Spotted Sandpiper. This lone bird passed by me on the PL observation deck
at about 30 feet seemingly in search of a place to land (lily pads?). NOT
a Spotted Sandpiper at all, rather a largish 'peep', larger than what would
seem more likely (Least / Western), but a typical nondescript winter drab
gray/brown DUNLIN, longish droopy bill (larger and longer than Western).
This so out of season, out of synch, and out of wack single bird kept on
going, flying to the far east end of PL, then doubled back for one more pass
by me on the observation deck before lifting out and away to the north.

Normally, a Dunlin wouldn't warrant much note if and when in season and I
would expect a few summer lingerers and early Fall migrants in the usual
and many times over familiar expected places. Phantom Lake is NO such place,
probably anytime. A quick check of Hunn's 2012 "Birding in Seattle and
King County" bar charts indicate NO SUMMER RECORDS FOR DUNLIN AT ALL during
the months of June, July, and August, and nearly none for all of May and
September at well. Odd bird in an odd place at an odd time indeed!

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA