August 13 & 20, 2016
The RBA Shorebird Workshop was held at Lakeview Community Church on Saturday, August 13th. A total of 41 members signed up for the workshop and at least 39 attended the four hour session. The workshop followed the basis format laid out in The Shorebird Guide by Michael O’Brien, Richard Crossley, and Kevin Karlson Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 2006). The book was made available at the meeting as well as 28 pages of notes to accompany the class. The approach was to learn some basic shapes and acquire a background in molt and plumage characteristics of the various shorebirds with emphasis on those groups that are more difficult to identify. Although the class session was four hours long, ample brakes, snacks, and drinks were provided by the RBA volunteers.
Lesser Yellowlegs – Montezuma NWR (RBA Field Trip) – © Dick Horsey – Sep 26, 2015
After the class session, everyone was invited to visit King’s Bend Park in Pittsford for a brief follow-up were we studied the plumages of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers in both worn alternate and juvenile plumages. Three other shorebird species seen were Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer.
Spotted Sandpiper – High Acres Nature Area – © Dick Horsey – May 18, 2016
The Shorebird Workshop field session was held on Saturday, August 20th at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Twenty-one participants began at the visitor’s center at 9:30 am and spent a long morning with a focus on shorebirds. Kim Sucy, Dominic Sherony and Dave Nutter acted as guides for the group. A total of 11 species were found, viewed and studied except for one; we had only brief and distant views of Semipalmated Sandpiper. The morning was spent at the best locations for shorebirds and finished up the day at the Seneca River canoe launch site on Morgan Rd.
