Birdwalk Highlights for 8/8: Walsh Preserve and Yarmouth Town Landing.

A fun, diverse outing this morning resulted in a nice impromptu shorebird workshop and some other sightings of note.

We began at Walsh Preserve, where, despite shorebirds already departing as the tide began to go out, had a solid array of shorebirds, including some really good comparison studies: 48 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and 12 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, ~40 SEMIPALMATED and ~10 LEAST SANDPIPER, 8 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 4 KILLDEER, and each of SOLITARY SANDPIPER and a heard-only PECTORAL SANDPIPER.

Noteworthy was the juvenile LITTLE BLUE HERON that politely flew closer for even better views, contrasting with couple of GREAT EGRETS. One NELSON'S SPARROW was glimpsed, GRAY CATBIRDS were bouncing around the edges, CEDAR WAXWINGS were buzzing overhead, and a BROWN CREEPER sang a few times in the woods.

We then relocated to Bridge Street in Yarmouth to check the progress of the dam removal, and resultant muddy shoreline. Not enough mud for shorebirds yet, but we did enjoy the nice views of two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS on the rocks of the falls, as well as a little discussion of the river restoration project.

By the time we arrived at the Yarmouth Town Landing, the first mudflats were appearing, and 3 Lesser Yellowlegs had arrived. Many more shorebirds were downriver, but we had enough to look at nearby. First, there was a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH of all things that oddly walked out of the marsh grass to forage at the edge of the receding tide! Seeing one in the open, through a scope nonetheless, is always a treat, but seeing one on a mudflat was most unexpected! A little less surprising, but no less enjoyable was a GREEN HERON which looked less out of place at the river's edge. A BELTED KINGFISHER flew right by us, and one of the local adult BALD EAGLES arrived at his favorite perch. Lastly, a GREAT BLUE HERON took a break on a long limb, while a dozen DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS warmed up on mooring buoys.