New Mitigation for Fall Shorebirds in Pierce

Digiscope of LBDO at this new mitigation

Today while I was taking a different than my usual route to Levy Pond in Fife, just after turning onto Freeman Rd off Valley Ave in Fife I noted what looked like a big construction site with a large muddy pond. I turned around, drove into the dirt drive to the area, and quickly came to a roped off area with room to park on the right. I grabbed my gear, noted no signs to keep out, and walked the maybe 200 yards to the site. Lots of heavy landscaping equipment around, but just over a low hill was a large shallow muddy puddle. It looked like perfect shorebird habitat, and sure enough on scanning the area I found a flock of peeps on the far side, 9 Long-billed dowichers, 3 Greater yellowlegs, several Spotted sandpipers and Killdeer. I walked first up the right side to look across and the shorebirds. On scope views 4 Western sandpipers were mixed in with 47 Least sandpipers, all the dowichers seemed long-billed, and all the Yellowegs were greater. No Semipalmated sandpipers unfortunately. There are additional more established wet areas on the R side near Wapato creek, and this area looks like it is going to be really good until it dries up.