Terek Sandpiper in Rhode Island! ~ June 29, 2020

The word got out about a Terek Sandpiper that had been found at Napatree Point by Rhode Island birder Jan St. Jean in the late morning on Sunday. I was in the middle of yard work when Jason Horn called me in the afternoon and asked if I wanted to go along with him and Rick Wiltraut. I would have never been able to get ready in time to go with them, so I crossed my fingers and toes that the bird would stay into Monday. Jason and Rick got there late in the day, but the bird had flown over to a sandbar about a half-mile away before they got there.

When Jason called me to let me know that they had missed the bird, I told him I was going to try first thing Monday and asked if he would be interested in going back there with me. That was fine with him. So, he arrived at my house a little after 1 AM, loaded his gear in my car, and we started the 3-3/4 hour drive to Rhode Island. We arrived around 5:40 AM and walked out to the point.

Walking towards Napatree Point with Latimer Reef Lighthouse in the distance

After only about 15 minutes, Ross Gallardy spotted the bird feeding along the wrack line on the bayside shoreline north of the lagoon. It was fairly distant most of the time, but I managed to get several documentation photos of it.

Terek Sandpiper

We were back home by a little after noon. This Eurasian shorebird has only been previously seen in three states in the "Lower 48": Massachusetts, Virginia, and California. This Rhode Island sighting represents the fourth. This was one of those birds that I assumed I'd never see in my life, so it was a great day.

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