American Avocet in Cell 3 - 20 Jul 2026
After photographing the Curlew Sandpiper in the NE corner of the Vermet Unit, I packed up and rode south to Cell 3 for some path-maintenance and a survey of shorebirds. The path was growing over so I took hedge-clippers and widened the path so that it would be easier to navigate. When I got to the west end of the pond a flock of 30 American White Pelicans lifted off from the water near the east shoreline. In front of me along the near shore an American Avocet was foraging next to an adult Black-necked Stilt . The north end of the pond was drying, but there was a nice mix of Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilt Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher , and Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers . The sky was growing more overcast and the haze from wildfires was growing so I concentrated my efforts on photographing the American Avocet that was as close as I was going to find. I then packed up the scope and headed back to the dike. I was tempted to ride back to the North Causeway to see the...
