The Mud Flats at Bennington Lake

The water level is very low now at Bennington Lake so there is a very big area of exposed mud.  This morning it was full of shorebirds.  We saw 6 pectoral sandpipers, 6 long-billed dowitchers, 2 greater yellowlegs and 9 killdeer.  There were also two great blue herons, a great egret and a white pelican that could be sick because it we watched it get within two feet of a couple fishermen on the bank.  On the water there were 49 canada geese, 5 American wigeons, a ruddy duck and a western grebe.  A few migrating passerines were still around.  Two orange-crowned warblers, a Wilson's warbler, several yellow-rumped warblers and about 20 American pipits.  There were black-capped chickadees, house finches, white-crowned sparrows, juncos and song sparrows along the trail, 4 downy woodpeckers and several northern flickers.  Because of the low water levels, there could be more shorebirds coming in during the next few weeks.  They are close enough to see from the parking lot with binoculars, although a scope really allows you to get a closer look.   Ginger