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Inland Shorbirding (a question)
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Inland Shorbirding (a question)
- From: "Paul Champlin" <skua99@hotmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 16:37:20 EDT
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Hi folks,
I've been wondering about this for the pst few weeks, as it's shorebird
migration time. In Western Massachusetts, where I spent the last 10 years,
we bird-heads scavenged the local fields, sod farms and riverine sand bars
(Connecticut River) for the rather less common inland shorebirds (and
potential places to find shorebirds during/after heavy rain storms). I
remember seeing 16 species of sandpiper and plover in a sod farm adjacent
the river, in one day just afer a heavy t-storm (a sod farm similar to the
one west of the Rt. 1 bridge into GA) . While I HAVE seen posts regarding
sod farm shorebirds in SC (none in southern SC), I have yet to see any
regarding shorebirds on riverine bars. Is the Savannah River too
fast-flowing for them to form? I hear tales of large bars down river from
the SRS and I plan on floating that section w/canoe in 8 or so days. Any
suggestions?
This type of birding is boom-or-bust. While you can spend a few days or
weeks looking at the odd Least, Semi, or Soli. Sandpiper, you can also clean
up if you hit it right (while building your county list) or better yet, add
to county records with things like the odd tern, Buff-breasted or Bairds
Sandpiper (etc).
I'd also be interested to know if there were a place of the following
description in interior SC agricultural districts: One of the traditional
places to look at shorebirds in interior MA is a 30X50 yard open manure pit
at a local cattle farm. The farmers keep cows immediately adjacent to the
rectangular pit and so keep it constantly filled. It's a bit stinky, but has
provided many Bairds and White-rumpped sandpipers and is constantly playing
host to 50 - 200 or so Leasts. Several plover species and many other
sandpipers have been seen there every year.
Thanks in advance for any information.
Paul Champlin
Aiken, SC
capito@hotmail.com
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