Subject: Baird's Sandpiper in Moses Lake ( a little long)
Date: Feb 2 21:35:34 2004
From: Doug Schonewald - dschone8 at donobi.net


Hi Tweets,

Sorry for the late post.
Saturday afternoon I located a small peep and photographed the bird on
Moses Lake. I sent the pictures to several local birding associates Saturday
evening. The peep was alone (though loosely associating with a Greater
yellowlegs) and showed a long wing extension. I believed it was either a
Baird's or White-rumped Sandpiper, but was unable to determine the latter
due to it not flying.
Either one of these birds would be a remarkable sighting for winter as they
should be in Chile, or further south, about now.
Sunday I returned to try to relocate the bird with a promise to call if it
was re-found. It was relocated in the same area as Saturday. A phone call, a
half-an-hour wait for the others to show up, and several dozens of pictures
later we were able to determine that it did appear to be a Baird's
Sandpiper. Notes were taken and discussions were had and quite a few books
were reviewed and information passed back and forth before we decided that
we needed to risk making the bird fly to eliminate White-rumped. When the
bird finally flew it did not display the characteristic white rump and that
species was eliminated.
Photos were forwarded to several well known birders and shorebird experts.
All have confirmed that this appears to be a basic plumaged Baird's
Sandpiper. Quite a remarkable find for this time of year.
Following are directions to the last location the bird was observed should
you be interested in trying for this bird.
Take exit 176 from I-90. Go north on SR-17. Where SR-17 veers right, stay
on the 4 lane road straight ahead which becomes Pioneer Way. At the second
stop light from the SR-17 junction take a left on Nelson Road and follow
this road to the lake. There will be a sewer lift station at the end of the
road and a gravel parking area to the right. The bird was observed both
times around the large pile of rocks at the lake edge just north of the lift
station.

Cheers
Doug Schonewald
Moses Lake, WA
dschone8 at donobi.net