Here they come!

It really is the doldrums of summer (even if it's been unseasonably cool for a few days). Herping this past weekend in some prime habitat on the local hilltops, I heard maybe ten birds in two hours. When a single goldfinch flew over calling per-chick-o-ree, I started, because it made me realize how silent the woods were.

Don't let this news keep you down, however. The last straggling migrants passed through just a few weeks ago, yet here come the southbound shorebirds! From cayugabirds-l and geneseebirds-l:

Subject: Shorebirds in Region 5
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:18:42 EDT

An increase in shorebird numbers and diversity is being noted in Region 5.

Tony Shrimpton and I made a late-day trip to Delta Lake. New (and more) birds from Sunday were noted.

1 STILT SANDPIPER
~5 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
1 SANDERLING
1 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
lots of LEAST & a few SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER
plenty of LESSER YELLOWLEGS & 1-2 GREATER
1 WILSON'S SNIPE
2-3 SOLITARY SANDPIPER
a few PECTORAL SANDPIPER
lots of KILLDEER and a few SPOTTED SANDPIPER

1 GREAT EGRET
1 MERLIN
1 unidentified accipiter, packing a lunch, a peep I'm guessing
1 BALD EAGLE (adult)

The White-rump, looking like the same bird as Sunday, is early (7/22 date is possibly record-early based on what I've been able to find for Region 5). Somewhat better looks were had today and it does seem to be a White-rump.

Most of the birds are distant, but there's a ton of habitat for phalaropes and other goodies.

---David Wheeler