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Re: [SBB] "Flock" of Stilt Sandpipers in New Chicago Marsh

SBBers,

This afternoon (08-31-07) around 3 PM  , the "flock" of STILT SANDPIPERs was still present in the pond south of the railroad tracks.  Bill and I did not see any north of the RR tracks.  The first one we saw was along the closest edge foraging near a mixed flock of phalaropes.  Twice the flock flushed and later returned;  each time the STSA followed shortly after.  The lighting was very bright so it was difficult to catch details well.  I did not see any rufous in the upper back but in a photo I took I could detect a bit of rufous in the scapulars.  Otherwise, the feathers were edged in white.  There was a touch of rufous in the auriculars and more in the lores.  

Farther out we saw 3 or 4 other STSAs.  It was difficult with the lighting to see any detail other than size, shape, white underbelly and the bill size and shape, especially since 3 were preening continually.  When the birds flushed a small flock of 5 flew eastward.  Admittedly I didn't look very diligently again (I was getting a bit fatigued from the heat) but I didn't see any STSAs afterward other than the lone STSA that returned to the edge with the phalaropes.  

Bill Bousman came later to see the "flock" of STSAs.  Perhaps he picked them out.

Good birding,
Peggy Don


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: [[email protected]]
> All,
>  
> >From about 11:30 to 12:45 today (8/31) Frank Vanslager and I were busy  
> dealing with the fact that we had at least four and probably five STILT  
> SANDPIPERS 
> in the pond south of the railroad tracks that run thru New Chicago  Marsh and 
> just before where the tracks meet those that run into  Alviso.  This 
> initially did not seem possible (I seen two  different STSA in New Chicago Marsh 
> before but never in such a small  area), then when we finally left we found two 
> more STSA on the north side  of the tracks and east of the pond (none of the 4 
> or 
> 5 initially seen had  flown).. Most of the STSA seemed to be juvenile to me 
> with "bright"  white edges to feathers giving the upper parts a uniformly scaly 
> appearance,  they had  rufous edged tertials and rufous edged feathers at the 
> edge  of the mantle forming a "V" on the back, bellies were pure white and 
> the chests  were buffy and streaked,  Bills were dark, long and bent slightly 
> near the  tip, legs were yellow-green.  Initially as we approached the pond 
> Frank  noticed a breeding plumaged DUNLIN (with a hurt leg?) and standing next 
> to  
> it a Stilt Sandpiper.  We then spent some time trying to photograph  the 
> STSA.  The STSA then flew to the far side of the pond.  "It"  was re-found and 
> we 
> then noted there was a second STSA (we were  watching two different birds).  
> Unbelievably we then found at least two  more STSA (some were sleeping, at 
> least one was having a hard time  waking up and others were feeding Dowitcher 
> style with there tails held  high).  We also noted that there must have been at 
> least an inch  difference in size between a couple of the STSA (the larger also 
> looking  bigger-heavier to me).  One of my guides says that the bills and 
> wings of  females average a bit longer.  Frank felt that at least one of the 
> STSA 
> was  an adult, unfortunately I didn't make note of the bird.
>  
> Take care,
> Bob Reiling 
>           
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at 
> http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
--- Begin Message ---
All,
 
From about 11:30 to 12:45 today (8/31) Frank Vanslager and I were busy dealing with the fact that we had at least four and probably five STILT SANDPIPERS in the pond south of the railroad tracks that run thru New Chicago Marsh and just before where the tracks meet those that run into Alviso.  This initially did not seem possible (I seen two different STSA in New Chicago Marsh before but never in such a small area), then when we finally left we found two more STSA on the north side of the tracks and east of the pond (none of the 4 or 5 initially seen had flown).. Most of the STSA seemed to be juvenile to me with "bright" white edges to feathers giving the upper parts a uniformly scaly appearance, they had  rufous edged tertials and rufous edged feathers at the edge of the mantle forming a "V" on the back, bellies were pure white and the chests were buffy and streaked,  Bills were dark, long and bent slightly near the tip, legs were yellow-green.  Initially as we approached the pond Frank noticed a breeding plumaged DUNLIN (with a hurt leg?) and standing next to it a Stilt Sandpiper.  We then spent some time trying to photograph the STSA.  The STSA then flew to the far side of the pond.  "It" was re-found and we then noted there was a second STSA (we were watching two different birds).  Unbelievably we then found at least two more STSA (some were sleeping, at least one was having a hard time waking up and others were feeding Dowitcher style with there tails held high).  We also noted that there must have been at least an inch difference in size between a couple of the STSA (the larger also looking bigger-heavier to me).  One of my guides says that the bills and wings of females average a bit longer.  Frank felt that at least one of the STSA was an adult, unfortunately I didn't make note of the bird.
 
Take care,
Bob Reiling 
         



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