[EBB Sightings] Possible Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Pt Isabel Saturday PM

Hi folks,

   I headed down to Pt. Isabel late afternoon on Saturday in hopes of  
seeing some of the recently reported vagrants.  Struck out on Dusky  
warbler, and didn't remember where the kingbird was seen so missed  
that as well.  However, I did see what I'm pretty sure was a Sharp- 
tailed Sandpiper.  Great views through my scope, but unfortunately  
couldn't digiscope with my camera so you are stuck with these:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12341100 at N06/sets/72157607396231263/

The bird had a very bold rusty cap and long bold white eyebrow.  The  
breast was buffy, but only streaked around the throat and near the  
shoulders.  There appeared to be some faint dark streaking on the  
margins of the undertail, although I could not always see this.  The  
bird was with a lot of semi-palm plover and some black turnstones, and  
seemed slightly larger than the plover, and taller but not quite as  
beefy as the turnstones.

I found this bird approx 6pm at the southern corner of the small bay  
immediately north of the dog-park.  If you are on the bay trail bike  
path, its the first place heading north from the bridge by the port-a- 
potty's where there's a break in the fence and you can cross some  
footpaths to get to the bay.  It was still there as I left, foraging  
at the water's edge.  The tide was low but coming in.

This is a life bird for me, and I've only seen Pectoral a couple of  
times, so these are not birds I'm familiar with and I would welcome  
thoughts/corrections on this ID.  If this is worthy of posting on more  
widely distributed RBA's, be my guest.

Also seen were:
Osprey
Peregrine (beautiful pale probably adult female perched on one of the  
radio towers).
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
LB Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Dunlin
Least Sandpiper
other peeps
Semipalmated Plover
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Black Oystercatcher
Willet
GB heron
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Brown Pelican
DC Cormorant
Black Phoebe
Chickadee
House Finch
White Crowned Sparrows (lots)
Golden Crowned Sparrows (only a couple)
Savannah Sparrow
Junco
Anna's Hummingbird



Good birding!

Alan Krakauer
ahkrakauer at ucdavis.edu