Harrison Baird's Sandpiper and Vesper Sparrow

[Chris]

I was just out at the Lagoon. I ran into Murray and we both saw a Baird's Sandpiper and I saw a Vesper Sparrow. I orginally ID as a Lapland Longspur. Looking at the field guides and my pictures I am certain that it is a Baird's Sandpiper. Here is the picture of the Baird's. It is at the western portion of the lagoon. The Horned Grebes were still out there. allin breeding plumage. I thought I saw some Red-necked Grebes but looking at the photos I took, they are definitley Horned Grebes.



Here is the Vesper Sparrow

[Gord]

Chris, fantastic Baird's Sandpiper

And that longspur is a Vesper Sparrow!! Excellent photo. Wow, those guys are quite similar to Lapland Longspur females. Sort of just realized that. Well done.

[Chris]

Thanks for the confirmation Watchmen and Gord! As I was looking through my pictures I noticed the legs were pink so I was flipping through my field guide at Longspurs then I was going to head onto sparrows. The Lapland Longspurs feet are black. It makes sense that it would be a Vesper Sparrow. I wonder if Murray got a different bird than me because he was ahead of me.

[murraybrown]

Bundy, when I got home and got the pictures up on the screen I realized that it wasn't a longspur after all.
Sent the images to Watchmen and he confirmed the Vesper ID.

Murray

[Dave]

I am catching up on the posts/pictures, and wanted to say, "Great birds Chris and Murray"!!!! Fantastic records. I read this earlier but didn't comment at the time.

Dave

[Janne]

The Vesper Sparrow was at the East end of the lagoon this afternoon, May 10th, 2010, about 3 PM.

There was also an Arctic race Horned Lark about midway around the north side to the lagoon.

Janne Perrin
Harrison Hot Springs

[Gord]

Janne, very nice. One of the later sightings for Horned Lark that Im aware of. Beautiful.