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From: sid@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Sid Johnson WB6VWH)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Birding the Cape.
Keywords: shorebirds, Monomoy
Message-ID: <4760@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Date: 6 Sep 90 23:52:02 GMT
References: <3598@leah.Albany.Edu>
Reply-To: sid@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Sid Johnson WB6VWH)
Distribution: na
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 40

In article <3598@leah.Albany.Edu> gmr044@leah.Albany.Edu (Gregg Recer) writes:
>
>    My wife and I took a long weekend over labor day and went to Cape
>Cod for birding and bicycling.  Both activities were very productive.
>place.  Anyway, the shorebird list included hudsonian godwits,

>black-bellied and semipalmated plovers, Am. oystercatchers, and
>semipalm., least, western sandpipers as well as greater and lesser
>yellowlegs, short-billed dowitcher and whimbrel.  The three hot birds
>seen earlier in the week, marbled godwit, curlew sandpiper and
>buff-breasted sandpiper were all, alas, no-shows.  Apparently it was

>Upon returning home our local club's hotline, updated on 8/31, was
>also bemoaning the lack of migrant reports.  Are people in other areas
>having similarly slow fall migrations so far?
>
>Gregg

It has been slow here but it is picking up in So Calif.  We drove out
to the Lancaster sewer ponds Sun 9/2 to check out shorebirds there.
The ponds were slow but offered excellent views Of Wilson's and Red-
necked Phalaropes plus Least Sandpiper.  From there we went to Piute
ponds, 500 acres of marshland in the middle of the Mohave desert, formed
by the sewer pond outfall.  Birding there was very good.  We saw the birds
you mentioned minus Hudsonian Godwits and Ostercatcher.  In addition,
Marbled Godwits (too bad we couldn't trade Godwits); Solitary Sandpiper;
Clapper and Virginia Rails; Black-necked Stilt; Am Avocet; Killdeer; 
Willet; Caspian Tern and Am Pipit.

Passerines included Yellow-headed Blackbird, Comman Yellow-throat and
Yellow Warbler and, of course, Marsh Wrens.  There was a flycatcher too
but the little monster refused to allow a good enough look for in ID.  We
saw no raptors either.  Not even a Red-tail.  Just Ravens and crows

When we arrived home, about 3PM the yard was full of Warblers.  Orange-
crowned and Nashville.  Next morning they were gone.  Wilson's are 
reported to be around too but I haven't seen one.  It was a heck of a good 
day.

-Sid