I was able to stop and look for the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for about an hour on the way home with no luck. There were a handfull of other birders there looking, too. It was quite windy and the light wasn't optimal but I was able to pull out
7 Pacific Golden Plovers from the 100, or so, Black-bellied Plovers. I was able to point out structural differences and plumage characteristics between the two species to a couple people. I always enjoy helping people see something new...whether it is a new species or a new way of looking at something familiar...I know how much I like when someone helps me see something new and it feels good completing that circle. I tried to digiscope with my LG VX9800 camera phone. It has a fairly good camera and gets decent results.
Even though the golden plovers were at quite a distance and field marks are hard to detemine, you can see the size difference easily between the black-bellies and the goldens. The 3 birds in the front (to the left of the gull) are a good example - Black-bellied Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, and Black-bellied again. The middle bird is obviously smaller and you can even ascertain (with, perhaps, a little imagination) from this photo a warmer overall color in comparison to the grayer black-bellies. It was great to get out even if just for my lunch hour. Certainly whet my appetite for leading trips for the Central Valley Birding Symposium in a couple weeks.
I was able to stop and look for the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper for about an hour on the way home with no luck. There were a handfull of other birders there looking, too. It was quite windy and the light wasn't optimal but I was able to pull out 7 Pacific Golden Plovers from the 100, or so, Black-bellied Plovers. I was able to point out structural differences and plumage characteristics between the two species to a couple people. I always enjoy helping people see something new...whether it is a new species or a new way of looking at something familiar...I know how much I like when someone helps me see something new and it feels good completing that circle. I tried to digiscope with my LG VX9800 camera phone. It has a fairly good camera and gets decent results. 
Even though the golden plovers were at quite a distance and field marks are hard to detemine, you can see the size difference easily between the black-bellies and the goldens. The 3 birds in the front (to the left of the gull) are a good example - Black-bellied Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, and Black-bellied again. The middle bird is obviously smaller and you can even ascertain (with, perhaps, a little imagination) from this photo a warmer overall color in comparison to the grayer black-bellies. It was great to get out even if just for my lunch hour. Certainly whet my appetite for leading trips for the Central Valley Birding Symposium in a couple weeks.
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