[SBB] Buff-breasted Sandpiper continues in Alviso

["Kris Olson" <[[email protected]]>]

I got Mike Roger's email at 4:56pm, had to leave to drop my daughter off at
soccer practice at 5:30, raced to Alviso marina, hiked out the trail to the
end of the impoundment, crossed over to the RR track just after a train went
by, scaring all the birds.

I scanned all the birds (coming out to feed, post-train) in the SE corner of
New Chicago Marsh. I was slightly below the levee separating train tracks
and New Chicago Marsh from A16-I could just scan part of the top of it.   

I finally found the BBSA out in New Chicago Marsh (6:20pm-ish), hunkered
down on a little island near a gull. It shone like a deep golden ball! (The
sun was behind me). It flew over to the back of this corner pond and went
into the pickleweed, flying off and on a little further ahead.  It never
waded in the water, but kept to the pickleweed. It alternated being out of
sight and emerging briefly. My last sighting was of it on top of the levee
facing A16, climbing up some red plant and then down the far side of the
levee out of sight. It was fairly skittish.

The bird had a golden face, slightly darker gold behind its eye.  Its neck
and upper breast were paler golden, its lower breast and belly white. Yellow
legs (did not appear as bright as a Yellowleg's but they were never directly
next to each other.) Its back was scaly: dark feathers with buffy edges
around them. When it flew, its wings were white underneath.  Sibley shows a
dark mark on the underwing, past the wing bend, but I did not see this. The
bird looked dark on its back and wings when it flew. No white on its rump.
Its bill is relatively short.

It took me about 20+ minutes from the Alviso marina walking fast to get to
the RR tracks (You can cross over to them just at the end of the dry
empoundment.)  A train came by again at 6:40pm, flushing all the birds.
Fortunately, I did not refind the BBSA, because I suddenly remembered that
soccer practice ended at 7pm not 7:30pm today! Whoops!

I did take time to grab a quick look at a single Snowy Plover in the
impoundment. There was 1 Semipalmated Plover in NC Marsh with the Least
Sandpipers, Dowitchers, Stilts, Yellowlegs. Then I jogged for the car, scope
flapping behind me and binoculars bouncing. 7:15pm back in Palo Alto: soccer
practice got out late, thank goodness for small miracles. 

The Buff Breasted is definitely worth the trip! Another of life's small but
beautiful miracles. Thanks, Mike.

Good birding,

Kris Olson, Menlo Park





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