Santa Cruz County has few records of Semipalmated Sandpiper compared to
adjacent Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. This is due to a
relative lack of the species' preferred habitat. Years in which there was
extensive birding coverage of wetlands and ponds along the coast and in the
Pajaro Valley still yielded very few records. The recent report from Harkins
Slough brings the county total up only 10 acceptable records. It has been
reported in only seven of 21 years since the first county record in 1979.

Seven of the 10 records were from the Pajaro Valley region, with five being
associated with the Pajaro River. All records were of single birds. Nine
records were in fall and one was in spring. The lone spring report was of an
adult that lingered for a relatively long time. Fall records spanned 30 July
- 26 Sept (six of nine were from 20 Aug - 16 Sept).  All fall records were of
juveniles, except for an adult on the earliest date of 30 July.
 
 

27 May - 11 June 1979	Pajaro River mouth	P. Metropulos+
9-12 Sept 1979	Watsonville Sewage Plant	S. Allison+
9 Aug 1988	Pajaro River mouth	D. Suddjian
16 Sept 1988	Pajaro River mouth	D. Suddjian
22 Aug 1991	Wilder Creek mouth	D. George
20 Aug 1994	Baldwin Creek mouth	K. Kellman
26 Sept 1995	Monterey Bay Academy	D. Suddjian
30 July 1996	Natural Bridges S.B.	S. Gerow
21 Aug 1996	near Pajaro River	D. Suddjian
9-11 Sept 1999	Harkins Slough	R. Wolfe+

*  Compiled by David L. Suddjian, Capitola, 13 Sept 1999