Lots of shore birds on HWY23 East of Sprague

[LDennis24]

I've been seeing lots of shore birds in the alkali ponds east of Sprague on highway 23 out by 4th of July lake and over at the Hardy cut off road. There's American avocet, some common snipe, some different types of terns and some other little birds that are wren looking with about a 2-in beak and long legs. I thought maybe you folks with the better lenses could get out there and get some good photos!

[Sandberm]

Thanks for the heads up.

I'm not a photographer but do enjoy some amateur bird watching. Shore birds are a favorite of mine. Though not in my pond, on the way to town on a backroad there was a little standing water spot an irrigation circle would make not 60 feet from the road. American Advocet for a few years running would inhabit this little 100ft by 100ft watering hole lined with reeds and some cattail. A beautiful striking bird.

My irrigation pond used to have what i believed to be spotted sandpipers. A cool little bird that bobs up and down. Other birds were great blue heron, egret and the occasional night heron with curlews living out in the fields. I once found a curlew nest in a field of wheat in May. Dark green eggs with brown flecks that were a little bigger then a chicken egg. Another time I found a nest in an alfalfa field that I had killed out to plant beans. When the plow got to the nest I made a point to leave that spot unplowed. Not 3 days later the eggs hatched and i found out for the first time that curlews are like killdeer. The hatchlings may spend just a couple days in the nest and then they are able to walk. The curlew call is so distinctive and easily imitated. I spent many a time "talking" to my curlew friends. Sort of like how its fun to "talk" to quail.