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<div class="rteDiv"></div><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Yesterday , 9.1.23, was the most spectacular day of shorebirding I have experienced in 18 years of visiting Channel Drive in Skagit County. Both in terms of number of species and total number of birds. I observed 12 species of shorebirds, as well as 2 juv PEREGRINES. I saw one RUFF. Other birders saw 2 together. I have never seen so many LESSER YELLOWLEGS in one place in my 45 years or so of birding. Here's a list:</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px"><br>
</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Killdeer - 1 Usually in greater numbers at this location and often the only shorebird at all</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Short-billed Dowitcher</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Long-billed Dowitcher</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Greater Yellowlegs</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Lesser Yellowlegs - I gave up on trying to count them</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Semipalmated Sandpiper -1 (and I suspect there were more)</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Western Sandpiper - numbers</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Least Sandpiper - 6 or so</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Baird's Sandpiper - 1 made a very brief showing</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Pectoral Sandpiper - 3</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Stilt Sandpiper - 3</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Ruff - 1</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px"><br>
</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Video of Ruff in context - https://flic.kr/p/2oZnHTS</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Video of Ruff at close range, slowed by half for easier viewing of detail - https://flic.kr/p/2oZpTt8</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px"><br>
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</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">It was a good day.</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px"><br>
</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Marv Breece</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">Tukwila, WA</p><p style="margin-top:2px; margin-bottom:2px">marvbreece@q.com</p>
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