A Vagrant Shorebird!

August 7th, 2009:  Gilbert Water Ranch and Glendale Recharge Ponds-a Red Knot

Hey everyone,

Tonight at about 7:30 I refound the Red Knot earlier seen by Charles Babbit.  The bird was in the middle south pond at the southern edge. This basin is full of water. It flew back and fourth to the other side of the
pond several times when I was watching it, it seemed pretty skittish. I got to a point where I was able to film it good. When I got really close to the bird, unfortunetely my battery died, but I'm thankful with what I
got!  The juvenille Least Tern was still present, and I had at least 5 Semipalmated Plovers.

This morning, I birded at Gilbert Water Ranch.  Highlights among 51 species included a Black Tern who perched on a mud flat on Pond 5 and then flew around Pond 7 in pursuit of prey, a Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Wilson's Phalaropes, and Peach-faced Lovebirds.

Red Knot

Black Tern