Eighteen people ignored the forecast today and joined Joann and I for
the last shorebird walk of the season accessing the dikes at Knox-marcellus
and Puddler's marshes. The first highlight for me was the youngest birder
ever to attend one of our field trips-a bundled up 2 month old! Carried and
kept warm and dry over a wet 2 mile walk by very motivated parents.
We were discouraged by the report from the previous day of NO
shorebirds but hoped the rain would ground migrants and not just soak us.
>From the East Road overlook we started with the 3 Sandhill Cranes and 3 Am.
Golden plovers on the mudflat followed by a flock of 11 Am. Golden plovers
flying out overhead to the west. There was an unusually large number of
swallows either feeding or sitting on all the mudflats and as we reached the
bottom of the hill we were able to pick out Bank, Barn,Rough-winged,Tree and
a single Cliff Swallow, all at eye level or lower. Looking past the blur of
swallows we found another Golden Plover plus a Ruddy Turnstone followed by a
beautiful Buff-breasted Sandpiper; all three of which never left the NE
corner of Knox and gave us great views. Also there: 2 Greater and 4 Lesser
yellowlegs, 6 Least,8 Pectoral Sandpipers and 1 distant White-rumped
Sandpiper. That bird was seen briefly on Puddler's where we picked up a
juvenile Black-bellied Plover and a group of 6 Semi-palmated Plovers. We
had at least 8 Black-crowned Night herons around the traditional large roost
trees on the north edge of the marsh. The surprise there was a cooperative
American Bittern spotted in the culvert along the dike. Very few shorebirds
compared to past years but a great mix! The Northern Shoveler and
Green-wingedTteal numbers are creeping up a bit there but no Wigeon for us.
The next stop was back to the Visitor Center. They have disked the
majority of the meadow there and water was collecting but only a couple
Lesser Yellowlegs and several Solitary Sandpipers stopped in briefly then
flew on.
Starting the wildlife drive, the first puddle held the usual 2 Solitary
Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs. Larue lagoon was occupied by Wood ducks
and a couple Mallards. The main pool is now being filled and a flock of 13
No. Pintail circled it.
Onward to Eaton marsh (previously Shorebird Flats) where all the birds
were close and good studies. These included 8 Stilt,6 Pectoral, 8 least and
6 Semi-palmated sandpipers, great looks at both Yellowlegs and at least 10
Short-billed and 4 Long-billed dowitchers. A surprise to me was a winter
plumage adult Long-billed(already). A Snipe feeding out in the middle of the
pond was a surprise but 2 found hidden in the reeds were the ones we worked
for. Sharp ears picked out the call of the first of 3 Snipe to fly out.
There was only a single Great Egret there and the 2 Trumpeter Swans seen
earlier by others had moved on.
Cold and wet, we scanned Benning Marsh quickly and didn't count the good
numbers of Lesser Yellowlegs(20 plus) or Pectoral sandpipers(about a dozen).
The thruway ponds only produced a couple Great Egrets.
The last stop was the weigh station along route 89 where a look behind
the buildings produced 16 Great Egrets on a pretty good mudflat.
Unfortunately the lead car missed the Peregrine Falcon sitting treetop along
the road-better there than chasing our shorebirds on the mudflats.
Thanks for all who attended and stuck it out helping us find a great
mix totaling 58 species. Mike Tetlow
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