Shawneen and I just returned home after doing some birding at Tualatin River
NWR and Blount Swale near Canby. We had Baird's Sandpiper at both sites, with
one at Tualatin in the quickly drying pond on the south side of the dike trail
and four at Blount Swale. Tualatin also had a single Pectoral Sandpiper, modest
numbers of Least and Western Sandpipers, about 12 Greater Yellowlegs and 13
Long-billed Dowitchers. We also had two Lazuli Buntings.
Blount Swale had slightly greater numbers total shorebirds, with about 40 each
of Least and Western, five Long-billed Dowitchers, 10+ Killdeer, at least two
Spotted Sandpipers, a single Solitary down along the fence line between the
mudflat and the wetland and the aforementioned four Baird's.
Both of these sites are probably within a week or so of drying up completely if
the weather continues as it has been.
Dave Irons
Beaverton, OR
