Stilt success

I had heard that Lisa had found a Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) near the upper reaches of the Estero Americano, so I swung by there today (16 July 2020) on my way home.

Luckily, Gene spotted the Stilt Sandpiper not long after I arrived.  It was far away, but the views were still decent through a spotting scope.  My camera lens wasn't quite strong enough for a good photo, but here's one for the record, since it's the first Stilt Sandpiper I've seen in Sonoma County.  (Most Stilt Sandpipers migrate through the interior regions of the North America, so they're rare on the West Coast.)

 

There were a lot of nice shorebirds in this marsh today, so here are a few more examples:

 

Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) — the juveniles have pale edges on their back feathers, making them look "scaly" in comparison to the adults.  [Three adults in the foreground and three juveniles in the background.]

 

Another distant view, but note the Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor), the paler bird behind the feeding dowitchers.

 

Young Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in pursuit of a dowitcher (Limnodromus sp.).  [After a long chase, the falcon won.]

Many thanks to all of the local birders who posted information about the Stilt Sandpiper.  It's much appreciated!