Stilt Sandpiper (center) flanked by Lesser Yellowlegs (left) and Greater Yellowlegs (right), with Short-billed Dowitchers in the foreground. Pardon the lousy hand-held phone-scoped image!
We returned to the nearby Walsh Preserve this week, but this time at the prime high tide. And while last week we chased a Stilt Sandpiper for all-time Saturday Morning Birdwalk bird #253, this week we found 2 STILT SANDPIPERS here, and they were much better looks, too!
Overall, shorebird numbers were quite good: 54 LESSER and 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, about 40 SEMIPALMATED and more than 10 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 13 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 10 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. What was more remarkable, however, were the repeated great views of species side-by-side allowing for careful study with direct comparisons. At one point, we had both yellowlegs, one of the Stilts, and a dowitcher all lined up side-by-side. Shorebirds are a lot easier when they are all standing next to each other.
Joining them in the marsh were 9 SNOWY and 1 GREAT EGRET. A RED-TAILED HAWK stood guard, while an OSPREY flew overhead. At least 4 GREEN-WINGED TEAL and 4 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS joined about 30 MALLARDS in the salt pannes with the shorebirds.
In the woods, we encountered one nice mixed-species foraging flock of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, TUFTED TITMICE and one pair each of RED-BREASTED and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES. But joining the residents were several migrants, including a male CAPE MAY WARBLER, at least two each of YELLOW-RUMPED and PINE WARBLER, 1-2 BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLERS, 1 YELLOW WARBLER, and 1-2 AMERICAN REDSTARTS!
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