The last few weeks have been pretty good ones for birding. The trip to Missouri added 8 lifers to my list and even though it’s been cloudy and rainy since we returned I was able to get out and add another -a Stilt Sandpiper, bringing my life list up to 235 birds. Almost as exciting is that I already have 170 species on this year’s list. Two more and I’ll have my best year ever, and it’s only May. The down side is that with the arrival of the summer birds most of what I’ll be seeing around here will be repeats. I can think of several birds though, that I usually see that I’ve not seen so far this year, Rough-legged and Broad-winged Hawks, for example, Townsend’s Solitare and Yellow Warblers for a couple more. There’s also been reported sightings of other birds around that would add to my life list as well as my year list, so it looks good for the rest of the year.
I found this Stilt Sandpiper out at Lake Meredith’s Spring Canyon wetlands with some Least Sandpipers, Wilson’s Phalaropes, and a Long -billed Dowitcher. It was an overcast, rainy morning, but the photos didn’t turn out too badly.
Stilt Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher
Stilt Sandpiper and Wilson’s Phalarope
This Lesser Yellowlegs was there as well
Photoavian 