Lehigh Valley bird sightings for August 1

Baird's Sandpiper

The wetlands around Green Pond in Bethlehem Township continues to attract birds not often seen in this area. The latest such occurrence came on July 27 with the sighting of a Baird's Sandpiper. That species is seen infrequently in the area, according to Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity, a publication of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. Several years may go by without a sighting of a Baird's Sandpiper locally.

The Baird's Sandpiper is one of the hemisphere's migratory champions. Its trips are long but rapid, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The birds breed in the high Arctic tundra and then fly 3,700 miles to South America, with some traveling as far south as Tierra del Fuego at the southernmost tip of the continent. Some individuals complete the journey in just five weeks. During brief stopovers, they seek out mudflats, estuaries, grassy marshes and dry grassy areas near lakes and ponds—features that Green Pond Marsh provides. Their diet consists mostly of insects.

One of the identifying features of the bird is its wing tips, which extend beyond the end of the tail and give the bird a "pointed" look behind, according to the National Audubon Society. At 7½ inches, they are larger than the more common Least and Semipalmated sandpipers but smaller than the chunkier-looking Pectoral Sandpiper.

The sighting was one of several species reported to the Eastern PA Birdline during the week that ended on August 1. The list of reports was compiled by Dave DeReamus for of the Eastern PA Birdline, which is sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society.

Green Pond, Northampton County
Stilt Sandpiper, 1 from July 27 to at least July 29.
Also seen: Semipalmated Plover, and Pectoral and Semipalmated sandpipers.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center, Carbon County
Blue Grosbeak, 2 on July 27.

Germansville, Lehigh County
Red-headed Woodpecker, 1 on July 29 along Church Road.

Trexlertown, Lehigh County
Sandhill Crane, 1 through at least July 27.

Peace Valley Park, Bucks County
Black-crowned Night Heron, 2 during the past week.
Prothonotary Warbler, 1 on July 29.

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.