juvenile shorebirds, miscellanea
8:46 am
As is very typical the last week of July, several species of shorebirds have seen the first juveniles arrive. This year, two species set all time early arrival dates, including the well watched lesser yellowlegs at Robb Field that first was seen on the 26th, and also a short billed dowitcher juvenile seen elsewhere on the 28th. Both of those were 3 days earlier than the previous early juvenile arrival date. Other species with juvenile arrivals recently include semipalmated plover, Wilson’s phalarope, marbled godwit, long billed curlew, and finally Western sandpiper today actually a few days late.
In other news, for those who might be unaware, the three neotropic cormorants that frequent the San Diego River channel and occasionally famosa slough, actually roost every night in a eucalyptus tree with double cresteds that is on the Marina Village conference center property immediately south of Seaforth Sportfishing. Yesterday, the 30th, a large number of shorebirds roosting at high tide in the salt works impoundment off 13th Street included about 50 Wilson’s Phalaropes, with smaller numbers of Red-neckeds.
Paul Lehman, San Diego