[EBB Sightings] Spotted Sandpiper in Walnut Creek

Because I have been birding other places, I decided to visit the park this 
morning.  The city is having a man skim the scum from the large natural 
pond, Susan Houck told me this is the second day.  They use a large floating 
aluminum paddle-wheel machine with a conveyor and hopper.

I don't always ride around the cement pond immediately to the south of the 
more natural pond, but I did today.  Two Canada Goose families had their 
young on the lawn.  One family was of 7 goslings, the other had three.

Then I saw something fly across the water which didn't seem swallow-like.  I 
started watching the curb of the pond and sure enough, there was a Spotted 
Sandpiper walking along the edge.  It had lots of spots, a nice bobbing 
gait, but decided that it should not walk too close to the Double-crested 
Cormorant, which was also perched along the edge.  It was doing its thing 
until it was 6-10 feet away, then stopped.  It bobbed a bit, looked as 
though it was thinking very hard, then turned and started back the other 
way.  I looked along other parts of the sidewalk, and when I looked again 
for the sandpiper, it was gone.

They come through pretty much every year in the third week of April.  They 
also come through in fall on their way south.  One was photographed in Chile 
on April 2.  It is scarce enough there that the photographer did not know 
what it was.

Hugh