Yesterday afternoon, I found an adult Stilt Sandpiper at the Walsh Preserve, and after noticing that we did not have that on our all-time Saturday Morning Birdwalk list, today's definition was clear! Although it was low tide, I was hoping the Stilt Sand would remain in the salt pannes, even as most everything else goes out to the mudflats to feed. Upon our arrival at the end of the trail, we saw just a handful of LESSER YELLOWLEGS at first, but then, in the middle of the largest pool where it was yesterday: the STILT SANDPIPER! This was the 253rd species observed on a Saturday Morning Birdwalk!
About 20 Lesser Yellowlegs and 1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were joined by a single SOLITARY SANDPIPER and a couple of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. All of the other shorebirds were out on the mudflats as expected. Two WOOD DUCKS joined MALLARDS and a few AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS in the pannes, along with one each of SNOWY EGRET, GREAT EGRET, and GREAT BLUE HERON. Several NELSON'S SPARROWS were darting about as well. A juvenile RED-TAILED HAWK called from the far treeline, a couple of BOBOLINKS flew over, and the woods and brush around us held a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, a PINE WARBLER, and a HOUSE WREN among others.
Heading over to the Yarmouth Town Landing - where many of the preserve's shorebirds go to feed at low tide - we found many more shorebirds: There was another 22 Lesser and 7 Greater Yellowlegs, including very close and cooperative Lessers. A small group of peeps near the boat launch included about 20 SEMIPALMATED and 10 LEAST SANDPIPERS, punctuated by a single WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER which offered a nice direct comparison.
Further out, there was another 150 or so Semipalmated Sandpipers, and about 30 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS whirled around in front of us. A Great Blue Heron sunned itself, a BELTED KINGFISHER flew upriver, while and OSPREY flew downriver. A juvenile BALD EAGLE wandering around the shoreline was tended by an adult, nicely rounding our a very diverse morning list!
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