Amazing shorebird biomass at Tonawanda State Wildlife Refuge's West Ruddy Marsh this afternoon and evening. Approaching from NY 77, this observer only managed to get half-way to the Osprey tower in almost 6 hours, combing through and counting the peeps, hanging around the puddle containing the three phalaropes, Stilt Sandpipers and Dowitchers until others arrived. An absolutely splendid feast for the eyes and ears. If you go, afternoon/evening is best since the marsh is east of the dike upon which one walks.
Pat Martin emartin...@earthlink.net -----Forwarded Message----- >From: do-not-re...@ebird.org >Sent: Jul 24, 2014 10:54 PM >To: emartin...@earthlink.net >Subject: eBird Report - Tonawanda WMA--West Ruddy Marsh, Jul 24, 2014 > >Tonawanda WMA--West Ruddy Marsh, Niagara, US-NY >Jul 24, 2014 2:30 PM - 8:20 PM >Protocol: Traveling >0.4 mile(s) >Comments: eventually joined by Dave Salembier, Sue Barth, Willy D'Anna, >Betsy, Brian Morse and family >33 species > >Canada Goose 40 partial actual count + estimate >Wood Duck 1 >Mallard 28 >Great Blue Heron 85 actual count >Great Egret 30 partial actual count + estimate >Green Heron 1 >Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 >Semipalmated Plover 40 partial actual count + estimate >Killdeer 60 partial actual count + estimate >Spotted Sandpiper 3 actual count >Solitary Sandpiper 3 actual count >Greater Yellowlegs 6 partial actual count + estimate >Lesser Yellowlegs 150 partial actual count + estimate >Stilt Sandpiper 1 others had 2 to 5 >Least Sandpiper 300 in some puddles the peeps were mostly leasts, in >other puddles mostly semipalmated. >Pectoral Sandpiper 20 partial actual count + estimate >Semipalmated Sandpiper 200 in some puddles the peeps were mostly leasts, >in other puddles mostly semipalmated. >Short-billed Dowitcher 17 actual count >Wilson's Snipe 3 actual count >Wilson's Phalarope 2 Phalarope with pointy black bill, longer than >Red-necked, overall chunkier bird than Red-necked, back not flat. Was not >spinning in circles like the Red-necked but rather rushing forward rather >frantically with head down and tail up. >Red-necked Phalarope 1 continuing; slender phalarope with flat back, >pointy black bill, slender neck, molting adult with pale red stripe down back >of neck, swimming in circles. in same puddle as the majority of short-billed >Dowitchers and 2 Wilson's Phalaropes, which were larger, fatter, not flat >backed, longer-billed. >Ring-billed Gull 20 >Caspian Tern 10 actual count >Black Tern 20 estimate, nearly constant fly-bys, impossible to really >know how many >Belted Kingfisher 1 >Tree Swallow X counting the shorebirds took priority >Bank Swallow X counting the shorebirds took priority >Barn Swallow X counting the shorebirds took priority >Marsh Wren 2 >European Starling X thousands feeding and swirling about in flocks, >impossible to get an accurate count >Song Sparrow 1 >Swamp Sparrow 1 >Red-winged Blackbird 30 estimate > >View this checklist online at >http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19211759 > >This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org) -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
