I got to the refuge rather late in the morning because I had been looking
for shorebirds north of Beaver Dam. The area is very dry and few shorebirds
were seen.
Since I got to STH49 so late, the lighting was bad for the pond east of the
pumphouse on the south side of the road. Still, 2 Black-necked Stilts were
there, and many, many, Dunlin along with the expected yellowlegs and
Pectoral Sandpipers.
The shorebirds are utilizing the rapidly disappearing boardwalk pond for all
it is worth, and it was exciting and challenging today. 14 Black-necked
Stilts were in this pond along with 3 Wilson's Phalaropes, 1 a stunning
female. Four Semipalmated Plovers, 1 Dunlin, Least Sandpipers, Pectoral
Sandpipers, and scores of yellowlegs were working this pond. Only one
dowitcher was left and it got close enough to where I felt fairly confident
in calling it a Long-billed Dowitcher. Unfortunately it didn't call, but the
white-fringed scapulars, densely spotted upper breast, and rufous coloration
from the breast to the undertail were good for that species. I didn't see as
much barring on the sides of the breast and flanks as I would expect.
Fortunately, Peter Fissel showed up and he is much better than I at judging
the degree of "hunchbackedness" on these birds, and he also felt this was a
Long-billed. It is probably one of the remaining 4 that were here a few days
ago.
A couple on the boardwalk compared notes with me, and they said if I wanted
to see Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers to look from the very end of what
remains of the boardwalk. Well that we did, because not only did we see
those species, we had some real ID challenges. There were 3 small shorebirds
huddled together that were quite gray and only the heads and scapulars could
be seen due to them being behind a clump of cattails. Peter and I mulled
over some possibilities, but nothing seemed to fit. Finally one got up and
decided to feed, and we could see by its feeding posture and yellow legs
that they were Least Sandpipers! I had dismissed that possibility because I
had been looking at many breeding-plumaged Least Sandpipers which of course
are quite rufous, and I had overlooked the possibility that there could be
basic-plumaged Leasts in the pond.
Having solved that mystery, we soon noticed another peep that was much
larger than a nearby Least Sandpiper, had primary extension beyond the tail,
and pitch black legs. We quickly got down to either Baird's or White-rumped
Sandpipers. Peter's first thought was Baird's, and several field marks
pointed to that. I see far more White-rumped Sandpipers in spring, so I
don't have much experience with spring Baird's. This bird had no streaking
on the flanks and there was no red whatsoever on the bill; the lack of these
features pointed to Baird's. However, having been fooled by basic plumage
Least Sandpipers, I entertained the possibility that these could be
basic-plumaged White-rumps. Fortunately, Peter had seen a black bar down the
middle of the rump so White-rumped could be ruled out. Additionally, this
bird fed out of the water, which Baird's frequently do, and White-rumps
usually feed in the water. When I got home my Sibley guide had an
illustration of the scattered black-centered scapulars that I had seen on
this bird, further supporting the identification. Thanks to Peter for
helping me with the sandpipers today.
Also interesting to me were 7 Rusty Blackbirds still hanging on, waiting for
the Rusty Blackbird blitz to end, I guess.
Thomas Wood, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha County
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