Re: [SBB] Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Alviso

[Dean Manley <[[email protected]]>]

Hi All,

Many thanks to Mike Rogers for his high energy efforts to refind and get
several of us birders on this terrific sandpiper today.  After our
excellent sighting Mike continued on his survey, the other 3 birders (at
least one from Stockton) cut over to the tracks to get back to their car(s)
and I headed for the southwest corner of A16 (after having been
considerably north of the SW corner) with thoughts of lengthy killer views
in my head.  In about 15-20 minutes I refound the juvenile BUFF-BREASTED
SANDPIPER and had my killer scope filling views for the next hour.  This is
one drop dead gorgeous sandpiper!

The key to the general southwest corner area of A16 seems to be the
extensive presence of a short reddish plant with tiny yellow-centered white
flowers.  You will notice these reddish plants from a distance, as you
approach, on both sides of the levee. For the entire hour I watched, the
Buff-breasted was foraging in these plants, plucking off insects that were
to small for me to see.  Ocassionally the Buff-breasted would walk out on
the levee road while moving a few feet to a new foraging location.
Interestingly there were 3 LEAST SANDPIPERs also foraging in these plants
at the top of the levee.  At times one of the Least stayed  very close to
the Buff-breasted while foraging.  That was the most successful Least
forager at that point in time.  I kept thinking that the Least might be
learning from the Buff-breasted but they were probally doing this before
the Buff-breasted arrived. Hopefully the foraging is good enough to keep
this Buff-breasted around for a little while.  At 3:15 a NORTHERN HARRIER
flushed the whole area so I departed.

Dean Manley


_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
south-bay-birds mailing list      ([[email protected]])
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/options/south-bay-birds/list_fred_archives%40plaidworks.org

This email sent to [[email protected]]