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Posted by Toe on 19:17:21 08/11/11
After work I got a sudden urge to get a quick shorebird fix, so I headed to the closest area with potential shorebird habitat, and I don't mean Cutler Wetlands (ugh!). My first stop was Gate C on the 97 Ave side of Mt. Trashmore. There is a large puddle between the gate and the landfill with some nice potential. Most shorebirds were towards the northern end, since a young Bald Eagle was guarding the southern side. I quickly scoped the following:
Semipalmated Plover (flyover flock)
Killdeer (several)
Black-necked Stilt (half dozen)
American Avocet (3)
Greater Yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser Yellowlegs (5)
Ruddy Turnstone
Semipalmated Sandpiper (at least a dozen)
Stilt Sandpiper
Within five minutes two security trucks pulled up to ask what I was filming. I explained that this is a scope not a camera, and that I was just looking at birds. They were cool with that and moved on. I then went via 248 St. to 107 Ave. and found a nice pond in an ag field just after the houses on the west side of 107 Ave. There I added
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper (2)
Pectoral Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher (~5)
Long-billed Dowitcher (luckily they did a quick flight and it called)
I got 15 shorebird species within 15 minutes. Sounds like a new challenge: how many shorebirds can you find in X minutes. The possibilities for insanity are endless!
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