Concerning access on the main unit at TRNWR, while it is true that the
service road that makes a 3-mile loop through the unit does not open until
May 1, the 1-mile long year-round trail is open now and ends at the
Wildlife Observation Platform, This was the best location for viewing the
stilts and many of the shorebirds yesterday afternoon.
Two other options for viewing shorebirds in the flooded fields on the other
side of 99W from the TRNWR Visitor Center is from the TRNWR parking lot or
the bus stop on 99W. Both are safer than parking along 99W itself, but are
a little further away. Rick Bennett
On Mon, Apr 23, 2018 at 6:58 PM, Thomas Love <tlove@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This afternoon Colby (?) and I located the swarm (I don’t think that’s
stretching things too much) of shorebirds now congregating in the flooded
fields across from the entrance to TRNWR (actually, more across from the
Push-n-Pull wrecking yard). BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, many GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
many breeding and a few basic plumaged DUNLIN, bunch of WESTERN S and lots
of LEAST S. I tried to make some of these into LESSER Y. and SEMI. S.
without success. Colby said the BLACK-N. STILTS (along with many distant
smaller shorebirds) were way across the left pond from the viewing center
on the refuge – trail to which doesn’t open to the public until 1 May.
I’d been meaning to add to the thread about the potential of these flooded
fields after scoping them over the last six weeks or so for the phantom
Brant that had been reported among CACKLERS (of which there are still
several hundred). There have been a half dozen GREATER YELLOWLEGS there
since at least mid-March, and now things are really picking up.
FWIW (not much, but…) The landowner (Hahn) down the road on the west side
of this area said several weeks ago that it is OK to park on the left side
just as you start down his long drive, i.e. at 45°22'48.03"N,
122°49'52.25"W, off the track of course. Though it could maybe accommodate
only two cars, it is off the shoulder of and obviates having to run across
a busy 99W. While I could see BBPL, DUNLIN and GR YELL. from this spot,
it’s not nearly as good as the wide spot by the guard-railed culvert
farther west on the shoulder of 99W.
Tom
