Thanks for your response! Guess I should trust my gut next time, because that's what I thought in the first place.

Good birding, Joshua Glant

Mercer Island, WA

Josh(dot)n(dot)glant(at)gmail(dot)com

> On Dec 21, 2015, at 12:51 PM, Josh Adams <xjoshx at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
> 200 Black Turnstones seems like a pretty high number of that species
> in one flock (eBird's King Co. high count is currently 60).
> Additionally, there well marked backs would be extremely obvious in
> flight even at a significant distance and would have been mentioned, I
> assume? The formation flying and dark back would point to Dunlin,
> IMHO, but Sanderling is also possible (or mixed flock of both).
> Sanderling have light gray backs, but depending on the light they
> could look "dark'.
>
> There have been good sized flocks of Dunlin on the Edmonds marina
> breakwater in the last week (I think Joe Sweeney counted 900 in a
> photo, if I recall correctly) with similar look and behavior.
>
> Josh Adams
> Lynnwood, WA
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