stroll down the spit ... Willet?‏ Eric Ellingson 10/1/13

A walk up and down the Semi Spit revealed a 150 Black Bellied Plovers, 2 Killdeer, 5 Western Sandpipers, 30 Black Turnstones, Red Necked Grebe, Eared Grebes, Harlequins, Common Loons, Surf Scoters and this bird in the photo. Is it a Willet or something else. A first for me whatever it is. Not much was in great numbers except the Plovers.

Whatcom Birders,



Nice photo, Eric, but this is a RED KNOT, not a Willet. The Red Knot is a rare but regular migrant through our area; on the north side of Boundary Bay in B.C., we often find from 1 to 5 Red Knots among large flocks of Black-bellied Plovers from late August through late October.



At what tide level are people seeing the plovers on Semiahmoo Spit? Can they be found there anytime except at high tide? I’ve looked for them twice with no luck in the last couple of weeks, but I think the tide was too high in both cases.



Wayne Weber

Delta, BC




P.S. there is one WILLET which has been seen somewhat regularly for the last 2-3 weeks in White Rock, 100-200 yards east of the big “white rock” on the beach, for those of you willing to cross the border.