Buff-breasted Sandpiper (click to see the larger version)

Al Stokie found an adult Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Montrose Beach this morning, July 27. Al first saw the bird near the fence at the west end of the protected area. He said the bird flew off after a few minutes and I thought I wouldn’t get to see it but it magically reappeared in front of us while we were standing at the base of the fishhook pier. This was about 7:20. A Killdeer spooked the bird and it flew off to the west and wasn’t seen again. This is the first Buff-breasted Sandpiper I’ve heard of not only for Illinois but the upper Midwest. There were also Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Sanderlings, and Semipalmated Plovers on the beach.