Monday, August 13, 2012

UI Dairy (over the past week) & misc. Moscow sightings

Hi All - 

I've been checking the UI Dairy ponds (behind the Palouse Mall on the west side of Moscow) for water/shorebirds every few days over the past week. There is decent mud here although not as good as last summer when a leaky pipe created an attractive muddy area above one of the ponds. It's not Mann Lake but is < 10 minutes from my house so fits into my schedule (and importantly my family's schedule!). A scope is very helpful here.

I've listed below species of interest (mostly waterbirds) and not including the regular group of Mallards and Canada Geese. The Aug. 12 Cliff Swallow, a presumed migrant, gets me up to 100 species for the year for my eBird Moscow "Patch List".

On the migrant front I've continued to have a few Yellow Warblers around my yard (perhaps the same ones lingering) and this morning a couple of Wilson's Warblers. There were also a few Wilson's Warblers at the UI Arboretum late this morning and a Belted Kingfisher departing the Arboretum going north perhaps headed for Paradise Ck. just the other side of campus.

thanks, Charles.

U. of Idaho Dairy ponds:

August 6

Killdeer 36 (highest of several careful counts, many resting on mud in the heat)
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 1

August 8

Cinnamon Teal 8 
Killdeer 1
Spotted Sandpiper 4
Long-billed Dowitcher 1 (worn breeding plumage)
Western Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper 1

August 10

Northern Pintail 1
Cinnamon Teal 10 
Killdeer 4
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1 
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 1

August 12

Northern Shoveler 9
Cinnamon Teal 10 
Killdeer 5
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Greater Yellowlegs 2 
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 1
Cliff Swallow 1



--
Charles Swift
Moscow, Idaho
46°43′54″ N, 116°59′50″ W
email: chaetura@gmail.com