Observers: Miko Ruhlen, Aja Woodrow, Sondra Grimm, Cheyenne Laczek-Johnson, Tracey Johnson
Email: mruhlen@prbo.org
Remote Name: 64.63.203.39
Date: 03/17/03
Time: 11:59:13 AM
We saw two Baird's Sandpipers along mainline road in Area 8SE of Zone 2 shallow flood. We were driving along the road and after flushing several Least Sandpipers, we saw the two larger Baird's flush and stopped the truck and crept up to get a very close look (about 15 feet away) testing the close focus of our scopes which we balanced on the rear view mirror out the window (no window mount). We noted the heavy black scalloping on the back, buffy colored "hood" that comes part way down the breast, black legs which seem kind of short in proportion to its body size. The wing tips extended just beyond the tip of the tail feathers. When they finally flew off after our nice long looks, they said "Kreep" a couple of times. It was extremely windy out and we didn't see a lot of other birds, but they could have been hiding somewhere sheltering \ from the wind.