[SBB] New Chicago marsh and Gilroy Water Treatment Plant

Around 11:30 this morning as Frank Vanslager and I walked along the RR tracks running through New Chicago Marsh, just beyond the first pond on the right, I spotted a fairly large Sandpiper with a short down-turned bill fly in nearby pickleweed. From the back I noted that the bird had pale yellow legs, had brightly edged dark centered tertials and that the dark short down curved bill was yellow-orange at the base. My first thought was that this might be the recently seen male Ruff but as it foraged half hidden in the pickleweed a much larger Dowitcher came into view. Now I thought we might have even another female Ruff! Fortunately, as it continued to forage it came out of the weeds and revealed a densely streaked chest with a well defined lower edge. Shortly thereafter the juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER disappeared into the weeds and was not re-found. One of the dark-legged REEVES was located in the far north-western corner of the marsh. Earlier Frank and I had checked out the Gilroy Water Treatment Facility which had almost no water in the "slag" ponds and essentially no Sandpipers (only three GREATER YELLOWLEGS). The first two ponds just past the entrance gate did have lots of Ducks (including BLUE-WINGED TEAL, RING-NECKED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, GADWALL, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, and CINNAMON TEAL. Most of these same Ducks were also in two ponds located west of the entrance (with pump stations). Other species seen include a RING-BILLED GULL, BELTED KINGFISHER, LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, and SAY'S PHOEBES.