Robert — yes that was me in the dark gray 4Runner. Looks like if I had been more patient the birds came over closer to the road. Good photos. Both Wilson’s and Red-necked Phalaropes. When I got home and looked at my photos I discovered there had been 2 Wilson’s Phalaropes in with the dowitchers and I didn’t seem the until they flew off. I thought the were Greater Yellowlegs at first but then decided they weren’t so were not on my list When I got home I realized what they were — almost dowitcher sized, white rump area seen while flying, etc.

Scott

Vernon — yes looks like some Western Sandpipers. I am fascinated by the bird in your 4th photo with the one dark band across its chest. It is not in very good focus but it could be Semi-palmated Plover. If so, nice find.

Scott Tuthill

After Denise Hughes post here I decided to head out to Dry Lakes. According to my eBird records the last time I was there was in July of 1991! My memories are not perfect, but it seems to have changed. There is now the one big pond along the road (which sounds like is dry most of the time) with the smaller irrigation pond just barely visible off its southwest corner on the other side of the berm and canal. My last memory is of two much smaller ponds where the big pond is now, at least one of which had water in it regularly. But who knows.

 

As far as my visit, I was not lucky enough to have the shorebirds right along the road for awesome photos. I did get some at much greater distance and if any are good will post in eBird. My list was similar to Denise and Cheryl’s. I heard 3 different Common Yellowthroats as well as a Marsh Wren. I also twice heard what sure sounded like a Virginia Rail back towards the irrigation pond. It is not on my eBird list as I was not positive but something for folks to be on the listen for in the future. I also had a nice group of 10 Red-necked Phalaropes.  Looking at recent eBird lists there seems to be a mix of Red-necked and Wilson’s reported. Are there both species migrating through or is this a identification challenge? When on the water 150 yards away they are surprisingly hard to separate. When in flight it is much easier with the dark rump and white wing stripe of the Red-necked standing out. The one duck I could identify was a Ring-necked all the way on the far side of the water. There were clearly teal and larger sized ducks present just not sure which ones. Will look at my photos. Bank, Barn, and Cliff Swallows were present but far away and the mix and total count was impossible to know.

 

Was a fun visit. I also noticed some close mown fields on the west side of Dry Lakes just north of where it bends to the west and becomes Stage Coach –  about half way toward Bowmont. I took a quick scan and didn’t see anything but the fields just have the look of somewhere where birds would be.

 

Scott