This morning I found 2 Baird’s Sandpipers on the East Pond at Jamaica Bay. The birds were in a mixed flock of White-rumped, Semipalmated, and Least Sandpipers on the east (far) side of the pond, just north of the raunt. The Baird’s were about the same size as the White-rumps, and browner than either the Semis or White-rumps. Wings were long, projecting beyond the tail. The most striking feature of the two was the fairly sharp demarcation between the buffy-brown breast and the white underparts.
Photos (record shots- not very good) are at www.birdersflightlog.blogspot.com. Shorebird numbers were fairly low- the entire north end is flooded, but the south end is not, and all of my shorebird sightings were there. Stilt Sandpipers, Dowitchers, a Semipalmated Plover, and both Yellowlegs, as well as the 4 peeps already mentioned were the only shorebirds I saw. Also interesting were 7 warblers (Magnolia, Redstart, Yellow, Yellowthroat, Black-and-White, Ovenbird, Nothern Waterthrush), a few shovelers and many Blue-winged Teal, and Great-crested and Least Flycatchers by Big John’s Pond. Eamon Corbett Pelham -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --