We had unusually good shorebird variety this morning at the Edmonds marsh. There were the usual Killdeer, a couple of Western Sandpipers, about 8 Least Sandpipers, an immature Spotted Sandpiper cavorting among the peeps, a continuing Pectoral Sandpiper, a continuing Long-billed Dowitcher, and two Greater Yellowlegs that are the first of southbound migration. At least one had been seen in the spring.

For good measure, I got to watch an immature Common Yellowthroat moving in and out of some brambles.

As an aside, marsh visitors may notice metal stakes with orange caps, a couple of cameras on stakes, and some lengths of rope in the marsh. There has been an ongoing political discussion about the marsh, which was kicked off by the city having to update its critical areas ordinance. The upshot is that the City Council authorized funds for a consulting firm to study the marsh over at least the next year. The consultants will come and go as they study such things as water quality, vegetation, and wildlife. They are friendly folks and happy to explain what they are doing. We have given them the comprehensive list of Edmonds marsh birds that we provided to the City Council a year or so ago. It is divided into resident, rare, and migratory birds.

Carol Riddell
Edmonds, WA