Posted by Paul Bithorn on April 29, 2004 at 21:02:56:
The Baird's Sandpiper first found by Marie Gonsalo on Saturday, April 17, 2004 continues to linger at Eagle Lakes Park in Naples. After two hours of scanning the many shorebirds from the gazebo with my 25-year old 60X Bausch & Lomb Discoverer, my good friend Stefan Schlick from Coconut Creek arrived to save the day with his Leica scope. It may be time to get off of my wallet!. Within 15 minutes he located a Calidrid with long primary extensions in the company of the smaller Least Sandpipers. The Baird's had a black bill and legs, a bibb, white belly and throat, scalloped back and it fed along the mud's edge as opposed to the Least's foraging in the water. I saw the bird stretch, clearly showing the narrow white ovals on the rump.
Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Solitary, Stilt and Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plover and Killdeer, Black-necked Stilts, Caspian and Least Terns, Barn Swallow, along with an adult and juvenile Bald Eagle were in the area. A flock of 7 Bobolinks flew in, including two males and five females. A Bronzed Cowbird, walking like Ed Sullivan, was seen on the walk back to the car.
A Beck's would soon be hoisted to celebrate my lifer and 407th Floridabird, a Floridabird for Stefan as well. A Snail Kite and Swallow-tailed Kite were seen near Fritchey Road. We enjoyed a lunch overlooking the water from the Captain's Table in Everglades City and were treated to a Rough-winged Swallow flyover.
Special thanks to Marie Gonsalo for finding and reporting this rarity, Brian Rapoza and the TAS group, Charlie Ewell, Doug Suitor and Vince Lucas for their timely posts.