If we defer on the description of the rump (what the
heck does tip of tip mean?), this sounds more like a
Ruff. Stilts this time of year should be pale gray,
rather than any kind of buffy. Pale at the base of
the mandible is also more consistant with Ruff.

Two Ruffs have been hanging out in West Eugene
for the last several weeks (seen yesterday, in fact).

Bruce Fischer wrote:
>
> Betty Jones (along with Murray Hansen and Jean Dair) saw a shorebird in
> Satsop today that definitely deserves to be checked out. Here is the
> description from her rare bird report for the CBC.
>
> Distance from bird: 100 yards
> Relative size of bird: 10" - Smaller than Greater Yellowlegs
> Head & Neck: Pale auriculars, top buffy-gray to nape-to where bar pattern
> starts
> Eye & Lores: Slight supercillium, no eye ring - dark eye
> Upper & Lower Mandibles: Darks, with lighter bas to mandible
> Legs & Feet: Yellowish-green (not bright yellow like yellowlegs)
> Upperparts: Nape-Buffy Gray and Back same - Rump white, tip of tip (?)
> solid dark - feather pattern described as dark chevrons
> Underparts: White throat - chest darker than belly crissum lighter than
> belly
> Wing: Wings slightly shorter than tail no obvious wing bars
> Behavior: Picking in water - No probing
> Bill: Droop at tip - slightly longer than head
> Additional comments: Feeding with a Greater Yellowlegs - Not similar size
> or coloring
>
> She thought the Juvenile Stilt Sandpiper pictured in Sibley's was the
> closest she could find to it. Ruth and Patrick believe it may be the Ruff
> they found last month in Elma still hanging around.
>
> Exact location: .6 miles North of Monte-Elma Road on Moore Rd. 1 Mile from
> Satsop (between Montesano and Elma, WA)
>
> I did not talk to her so do not know anything more than this.
>
> Ended up with 96 (97 if this can be ID'd) species for the day at the Satsop
> CBC. Highlights were a SWAMP SPARROW in the middle of Wenzel-Slough Rd.
> near the silos, a RED PHALAROPE on the west end of the Brady Loop, a
> WHITE-TAILED KITE and 8 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS.
>
> Bruce Fischer
> Aberdeen, WA
> stump at techline.com

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

A child who becomes acquainted with the birds about him
hears every sound and puzzles out its meaning with a cleverness
that amazes those with ears who hear not.

-Neltje Blanchan

http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters/bird/bird.html