I went to Swan Lake NWR today (08.09.09). Shorebirds were present in
good numbers but as others mentioned they rather far away. Some were
closer than others.
Here is what I could positively ID (13-14 species):
Short-billed dowitcher - 10
Dowitcher sp (gray phase) - many
Willet - 1
Greater yellowlegs
Lesser yellowlegs
Solitary sandpiper - LOTS - I'd guess >30
Spotted sandpiper
Black-bellied plover - 1
Semipalmated plover - 2
Killdeer
Pectoral sandpiper
Semipalmated sandpiper
Least sandpiper
Stilt sandpiper
There was a very pale sandpiper way in the distance which was moving
like a sanderling, but it was too far out for a positive ID
I managed to pull one immature Little blue heron (white phase) out of
the gobs of egrets.
American white pelicans

Forster's tern  >10 I am pretty sure they all Forster's. I saw
wingtips on almost all of them.
Black tern  ~20 at Swan Lake and >70 at Silver Lake, where they were
after the mayflies, which were abundant over the dam.
Franklin's gull - 1 imm. - I wish I could get a closer look at this
bird. It joined the black terns for a few seconds and disappeared
rather quickly.
Ring-billed gull - many
Snow goose - 1
Sedge wren - 2-3 singing near Silver Lake.

A quick stop at Brookfield City Lake (Linn Co.) on the way back
produced 3 Caspian terns.
Good birding,
-- 
Peter Kondrashov
Kirksville, MO

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