MBSP Purple Sandpiper 3-Dec-2006

Brian Zwiebel just called and he and Laura are looking at a Purple Sandpiper at the Maumee Bay State Park beach (8:15am Sunday December 3). Thought I would get the word out asap, as this is a very rare treat here in NW Ohio. They are looking at the bird at the east end of the beach, and it is on one of the rock breakwalls there.

We crawled around on the icy rocks at water line to get an angle for the shot. After taking a few images we retreated and left the bird resting. There doesn't appear to be much in the way of Purple Sandpiper forage as the rocks are pretty bare. I suggest the bird probably finished resting then went in look of food.

Other interesting birds in the park today include a couple of Snow Buntings, two Greater White-fronted Geese, Eastern Phoebe, Black-crowned Night Heron and a Common Goldeneye that landed in the inland lake.

I had been seeing a few E. Meadowlarks but none today.

Yesterday in the back yard I had the Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Fox Sparrow, two Rusty Blackbirds and two Golden-crowned Kinglets.