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I headed out to Antelope Island Causeway this
morning to answer the question, 'What hath the storm
wrought?' Foremost, the rainy weather has improved the shorebird
habitat much closer to the eastern shore. Shorebirds began to
appear at about mile 6.5 on the north side of the causeway. Water lay
extensively over the mudflats and although not deep, the birds didn't
care. The south side also had puddles from about mile 6
to mile 5 and shorebirds made the best of that, too.
Seventeen species of shorebirds populated the causeway or the
marina.
If you're a plover-lover, it's time to visit
AIC. Four species of plovers used the "new" water between mile 6.5
and 5. The collection included several SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS north of
mile 6.5. One plover ran in the mud strip at the base of the rocks that
form the causeway. A passing Killdeer looked like Godzilla next
to the diminutive, but pleasingly plump, Semi-palm. I mention the
Killdeer both for the size comparison and because I get credit for
another plover ;^D. A BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was at about this same
spot and three more were south of mm 5. All four Black-bellied Plovers
were in transitional plumage, but still sported black bellies and white
undertail coverts. About 15 Snowy Plovers were running amuck in the muck
between miles 6 and 5. The Snowies were quite difficult to count.
They ran so fast over the flats that they constantly outstripped my ability to
pan and keep up with them with my scope. However, at one point I did
"gather" five Snowies in the same scope view.
In the same general area north of the causeway
I saw many BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, Western Sandpipers, Sanderlings, two Least
Sandpipers, and on the way home, a SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER with seven or eight
Baird's. Two Spotted Sandpipers bobbed along the channel at the 'No
Swimming' bridge west of mm 5. Approximately a dozen Long-billed Curlews
and one Willet were scattered south of mile 2 to 1, and American Avocets and
Black-necked Stilts were sprinkled throughout. Both Red-necked and
Wilson's Phalaropes mixed liberally with the Eared Grebes south and west of mile
1. A SOLITARY SANDPIPER poked through the puddles in the gravel north of
the marina and west of that big silver boat that sits on the gravel.
Finally, I saw the most unique species, the
white-bearded self-proclaimed bird nerd, Bob Huntington. I believe Bob was
midway between a Semi-palmated Plover sighting and a Black-bellied Plover
sighting when we stopped to talk. Not a bad place to be.
Kris
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