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4/9/12

Count the Legs, Divide by Two

The announcement went out on the Yahoo group email list and on Facebook: the shorebirds are preparing for migration, and their numbers are "mind-blowing." According to the May 1 post authored by Humboldt birder David Fix, there were "in excess of 400,000 shorebirds" in the northern section of Humboldt Bay, near the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife area. His count, corroborated by seven compatriots:

300,000 Western Sandpipers
100,000 Dunlin
10,000 Least Sandpiper - hard to figure but there seemed to be great numbers of them in the peep flocks based on voice. This is still only one out of every forty peep-types, if so. I visually identified them consistently as they flew past in droves, as well, sometimes in flocks composed mostly of them
Short-billed Dowitcher 3000 - fewer than lately
Marbled Godwit 275, fewer than lately. These and the remainder below were counted pretty firmly.
Black-bellied Plover 200
Long-billed Dowitcher about 100
Semipalmated Plover 30, again
American Avocet 30
Willet 20
Whimbrel about 11
Black Turnstone at least 5
Ruddy Turnstone at least 4
Red-necked Phalarope 1

It was irresistible. The next night there were nearly 25 birders, but fewer birds. They had begun their migration, presumably northward to their Alaskan breeding grounds. Still, the flights of shorebirds were mesmerising, and it was especially rewarding to see so many of them in breeding plumage.