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Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 16:57:13 EDT
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Subject: [SBB] Sunnyvale Water Treatment Facility
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All,

The only thing worse than being a dollar short is being a day late.  This 
morning Frank Vanslager and I joined John Meyer, Pat Kenny, Roland Kenner and 
Roy Carlson in trying to refind the Snowy Plovers seen yesterday.  There were 
at least 135 (I didn't count them) SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS in the northeast 
corner of the large/west evaporation pond.  There were so many that I 
suggested that it might help if we just eliminated those plovers with orange 
legs.  Unfortunately that's when we found out that the flock included 
several, dark legged juvenile Semipalmated Plovers (don't know why Sibley 
doesn't show them, NGS does).  We did have multiple sightings of juvenile 
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS (wasn't interested in counting, to busy looking) and 
we were surprised to see many juvenile WESTERN SANDPIPERS (nice to have both 
in close proximity).  Lots of LEAST SANDPIPERS.  A few WILSON'S and 
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were feeding/resting in the corner of the pond while a 
couple groups of Red-Necked Phalaropes (small flocks by last Fridays 
standard) were in both ponds.  We also had several small flocks of "peeps," 
including Semipalmated Plovers fly low over us from the north and continue on 
toward the south.  On our way out Frank had a short sighting of an AMERICAN 
PIPIT, we had a mostly, breeding plumage BONAPARTE'S GULL (some white 
feathers on the face and neck) in the channel, between the ponds, near the 
pump station and I had a good view of an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER that flew in 
from the west pond and landed in the reeds on the western edge of Salt Pond 
A4 (disappeared before Frank got to see it).  I could come up with more 
cliches but it just boils down to the fact that I thought, because of the 
habitat, the Snowy Plovers would be there today, Mike Mammoser had a better 
idea.

Take care,
Bob Reiling, 1:58 PM, 8/6/02