[Birdtalk] A Ruff day on AIC

[bcurrie100 at comcast.net]

After quite the absence, let's see if I remember how to make a proper report.

I birded AIC from about 12:45 to 4:15 today.  Luckily I talked with Paul Higgins first and so thought my oversized snow pants might just come in handy to slip over my jeans should I get out and frolick in the snow.  I frolicked quite a bit, and though I got mightly cold, I don't think I got as cold as Paul did (of course neither did I have the reach of his lens).  All of these have been seen recently so I decided against capitalization for the rarer birds.

Ruff (between mm 2 and 3)
Snow Buntings (2 - between mm 1 and 2, about 3/10s of a mile from mm 2 going towards mm 1)
Least Sandpiper (between mm 3 and 4)
Baird's Sandpiper (probable) or possible White-rumped Sandpiper - see below (about 15 yards from the Least)
Peregrine Falcon (Immature)
Long-tailed Duck (drake and hen at the bridge)
Killdeer
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
Horned Lark
American Pipit
Raven
Common Goldeneye
No. Shoveler
Bonaparte's Gull
Ring-necked Pheasant (at gate house) - hen

The Baird's Sandpiper, at least what I think is a Baird's, clearly has wingtips extending beyond its tail as you can see (link below).  However, the bill is not straight, at least that is not how it appears in any of the photos.  Anyone out there with expertise, or who would like to comment?  I am not trying to turn it into a White-rumped, but as I have no experience with the latter I want to make sure and the bill does not appear like the Baird's I have previously seen.  However, I also have not been able to get this close for a photo before and even a scope cannot show everything that a photo can.  Photos: http://www.pbase.com/image/107765428/original (just click next to see the others - sorry for the quality of the photos on some of these, some were heavily cropped)

Behavior of the bird in question:  It was foraging by itself, though close to the above mentioned Least Sandpiper and a small group of Killdeer (about 3-5).  But never truly "with" the other birds.  It was in about the same depth of water as the Least's, sometimes venturing a little further out, but not by much.  No calls.  Did not see it fly so could not see the rump.  The supercillium looks fairly well-defined, but is it well-defined enough for a White-rumped?  Also, the bill is visible fairly well in a couple of the photos and there is no reddish at the base on the lower mandible as Sibley's describes (for the White-rumped).  So I'm calling it a Baird's.  Agree?  I also so two other birds out there that might be able to provide additional information if needed (Deedee O'Brien and Sylvia Gray : ) ).

Least Sandpiper: http://www.pbase.com/image/107765433/original

Ruff: http://www.pbase.com/image/107765418/original

Snow Bunting: http://www.pbase.com/image/107765421/original
The Snow Buntings were actually feeding fairly close to a group of three Killdeer.  To the naked eye they looked like they could have been peeps.

And if you were in one of my workshops I would tell you to never take a photo like this, but this little guy was begging to be photographed: http://www.pbase.com/image/107765420/original
Thanks

Brian
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