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Posted by Trey Mitchell on 23:07:34 08/26/07
I left church early upon hearing about the Buff Breasted Sandpiper at 9336 and 202 Ave. It was HOT!!! I searched all of the plowed fields in the area and only found a few Pectorals, Killdeer and a single Black-bellied Plover. I searched for about 2 hours and decided to try closer to Lucky Hammock. No luck there either. I did see a few more shore birds but only a few Least, Semipalmated and a Western or Two in a puddle of water.
I quickly searched for the Alders and the Acadian, but everything was hiding from the heat.
I went back hoping to find the Buff-breasted with Daddy (Rock) Jetty. We search the fields for a while with no results. When Larry arrived he brought birds with him. Shorebirds began coming in from all over. Not huge numbers, but enough to keep things interesting.
We were observing a flock of Pectorals and a couple of Semipalmated when Larry said that one the non-pectoral had a straight slim bill and appeared to large to be a normal peep. We looked closer and I noticed the long primaries extending beyond the tail. Larry and I were both thinking the same thing. "BAIRDS"
Just about the time we were about to confirm the sighting a farmer drove by honked the horn and ask if Larry want to buy his house. "Go Figure"
We chased the flock all over the fields before finally getting crippling looks at a Baird's Sandpiper. Rock was ecstatic!!!
Redemption after last years Baird's sighting with an asterisk. We called Toe and he made it just in time to get his look in before Larry and I tried to get photos.
The birds were very skittish and wouldn't allow close approach, but I got a few ID photos. Nothing pretty, but it's A BAIRD'S Sandpiper!!!
So, Rock, Larry, his family and I had to settle for a Baird's Sandpiper instead of a Buff Breasted... Darn!
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