[Tweeters] Where do the shorebirds go ...

[Jim Betz via Tweeters]

   ... when the low tides are so high?


   The tides right now only have actual lows in the middle of the 
night.  The "low" tides in the

middle of the day are running +5 and higher.  I go to Channel Drive 
often.  I was there just

yesterday and the 'low' tide was so high it felt more like a "low high" 
than a low.  And large

areas that are usually uncovered/mostly uncovered where pretty deep.  
There were a few

ducks but even those numbers were small.  BTW - if you are thinking of 
going to Channel

Drive check the tides for "La Conner" and expect good things if the tide 
will be zero or a

minus tide.

   I followed up the quick visit to Channel Drive by going to Hayton - 
there were a few

Greater Yellowlegs and a couple of GBH but no 'collection' of other 
shorebirds such as

Whimbrels, Dowitchers, any form of peeps, etc. ... in fact I didn't see 
or hear any other

than the Yellowlegs.  There were considerable numbers of ducks (mostly 
pintails) and a

lot of gulls - but the Snow Geese so common recently were missing (at 
Hayton).  That

Bald Eagle was sitting in the tree at Hayton for a long time (an hour or 
more).


   I then checked eBird Explore for Skagit County and didn't find any 
checklists with shorebirds.

Even locations such as Ship Harbor were "shorebirdless".


   So is anybody seeing any credible numbers of shorebirds?  In Skagit 
County?  Do you know of

some areas that have relatively large expanses of "high low tide wading 
depths"?  Again - in

Skagit if possible.

                                                 - Jim