ML128274991

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

**rare, particularly for location, though late July and August is a good time to find them in Washington, especially juvenile birds. A nice bird for Lake Sammamish State Park, and a long-awaited lifer! Found by Larry Schwitters earlier at about 6 PM at same location. Feeding with a Least Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher at Issaquah Creek mouth. Stayed in the same small area the entire time I observed. While the Least Sandpiper did much resting and preening on a gravel bar in the middle of the stream, and the Dowitcher pretty much did its own thing, including bathing and scratching its neck (which the Least Sandpiper indulged in as well), the Semipalmated Sandpiper was active the entire time, feeding over a section of the stream perhaps 25 square feet in area and alternating between hanging with the Dowitcher, Least Sandpiper, and poking around for food all by itself. The Semipalm did stretch its wings a few times, and even ejected a bit of excrement at one point (as did the Dowitcher). The location at which all three shorebirds were feeding was at the beginning of the north fork of Issaquah Creek's delta. Here is a picture of the location: Coordinates of the exact spot are: 47.562117, -122.065122 A gorgeous juvenile! More pics (and a video) here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132642556@N03/sets/72157656500253391

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX S8100

ISO

193

Focal length

216 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/30 sec

Dimensions

4000 pixels x 3000 pixels

Original file size

2.61 MB