Hi all,
Today, my dad and I visited the Ogier Ponds to search for the Solitary Sandpiper found by Carter Gasiorowski recently. We parked at the trailhead on Coyote Creek Golf Drive and walked south from there. On the way to the ponds, I saw my FOS Bullock's Oriole, as well as a large gathering of Turkey Vultures near the trail. We also ran into Charles and Jillian Sismondo, who were also going to search for the Solitary Sandpiper. Once we got to the northernmost pond, we found many species of ducks (including Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck, and Common Goldeneye) and several Great-tailed Grackles, but could not find the Solitary Sandpiper. However, Charles and Jillian checked out the back of the pond, found the sandpiper there, and subsequently called Michael Mammoser and I over. We were all able to get good views of the bird from 37°11'05.0"N 121°41'50.2"W (the bird was at roughly 37°11'05.6"N 121°41'51.4"W) as it stood in the vegetation and later started foraging in the water. I also saw a California Thrasher here and several swallows (including Cliff and Violet-green) as I was leaving. Later, on the way back along Coyote Creek, I saw the same large group of vultures, another Bullock's Oriole, and a Lincoln's Sparrow near the trailhead. Huge thanks to Charles and Jillian for spotting the Solitary Sandpiper today, and to Carter for finding it!
Do not disclose information that identifies the location of nesting birds of any species, to minimize stress on the nesting birds and the risk of vandalism or abuse.
