Reed's Sod Farm 9/9--Buff-breasted Sandpiper

 "Sod-farming" is not my favorite kind of birding. Standing on the verge of a busy road scoping dirt while tractor trailers zoom behind me--a guy could lose a tuchus searching for a grasspiper. But I was scouting today for American Golden-Plover, not for myself, but for a friend who is coming over from Brooklyn on Saturday. He is collecting "golden" birds for his 50th anniversary of birding, and Reed's Sod Farm on Old York Road is a very good place to look for them. On Sunday, during rainy weather, a small flock was found (nothing in comparison to the 43 that were Burlco--since gone--last week, but you only need one) and yesterday at least one was seen. 

This morning, I parked in the Union Transportation Trail lot, crossed Sharon Station Road, plunked my scope down in the wet grass, and looked at a big puddle that has formed in a low spot. Killdeer, of course, and a few peeps that I would have to get closer to if I wanted to identify them, and then, well I guess I better start a list because there's a Buff-breasted Sandpiper. I walked along the edge of Herbert Road to get closer to the pond, hoping that the other shorebirds in and near the water would turn out to be my target, but while there was a decent mix, the plover was not among them. I then started walking down Herbert Road toward Old York, past the house and over to the barren dirt field that had already had its sod harvest. Besides the big flock of starlings, I saw smaller birds in the dirt and kept walking. I got my scope on one and it turned out to be a Horned Lark--nice bird, but when you want something else, disappointing. The bird next to it was also a lark, as was the next bird, and the next bird and the next 41 birds--all Horned Larks, eating bugs or seeds. I spent an hour looking and only came away with a year bird. Doesn't mean that tomorrow or Saturday there won't be a golden plover there--especially since it may rain tonight--and if I had found one, it wouldn't have meant there would be one on Saturday. That's the problem with these oxymoronic common rarities--they're soooo unreliable. 

Only 12 species.

Canada Goose  20
Killdeer  5
Semipalmated Plover  1
Lesser Yellowlegs  2
Buff-breasted Sandpiper  1     
Least Sandpiper  3
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper  3
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  2
Horned Lark  45
European Starling  200