[wisb] Pectoral Sandpiper - Madison

From: Max Witynski <birdmax922@xxxxxxxxx>
To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:58:21 -0500
As Daryl said, the excessive rain has created many new shorebird locations,
so this isn't so much a fabulous sighting as it is an opportunity to
advertise a new potential shorebirding spot in Madison.  While I was running
this morning around the University Bay Athletic Fields (along University Bay
Drive), I noticed that the Class of 1918 Marsh at the base of Picnic Point
has overflowed its normal boundaries and a shallow pond now extends past
the running track on its south-west side (this morning it contained a Great
Egret).  It has started to evaporate, creating nice 10 foot wide "mudflats"
before the grassy fields begin again.  The soggy, hot conditions and
swarming mosquitoes have deterred most athletes from using the general area,
so I was able to find in 20 minutes before I lost a dangerous amount of
blood to the mosquitoes:
40 Canada Geese
40 Mallards (various stages of eclipse)
about 50 Ring-billed Gulls
6 Killdeer (the Killdeer were much more upset by my presence than the
Pectoral, they all got up and flew around calling many times before finally
leaving the area, while the Pectoral looked on calmly)
1 Pectoral Sandpiper (adult male, viewed from only about 60 yards in nice
lighting, a more beautiful bird up close)
10 Barn Swallows
2 Chimney Swifts
1 Eastern Kingbird (he chased one of the Killdeer away ferociously)
1 Gray Catbird
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Yellow Warbler (STILL singing)
Other Marsh Birds

On the walk to Lot 60:

1 Warbling Vireo (a nice bird, one that I don't see many times a year, it
could have been a migrant, but I doubt it)
100s of Starlings (juveniles in the middle of the flock, adults on the edge,
I wonder why?)
Red-winged Blackbirds
Grackles
3 Mallard females with VERY young families, I wonder if they'll make it this
late in the season?

If anyone finds the Buff-breasted Sandpiper that I predict will be found at
this location before I do, they will have to give credit to me! (Just
kidding, but I seriously think a Buff-breasted could be there, in fact, from
I distance without optics I thought that's what the Pectoral was)

Tomorrow I'm off to seek my 200th bird for Dane County, hopefully the
Yellow-headed Blackbird.
Max Witynski,
Madison, Dane


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[wisb] Pectoral Sandpiper - Madison

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