This was my second attempt to find the Baird's Sandpiper -- special thanks to Frank Vanslager for detailed instructions on walking out along the railroad tracks. I went expecting, if anything, to spend the morning looking at indistinguishable, backlit peeps most of the way toward the horizon; something of a character-building exercise. Instead, I was first greeted by an immature Raven, who spent over 20 minutes playing with the gravel and some snail shells between the railroad tracks. Perhaps he was having a hard time distinguishing them from food, but personally I think he was curious and playful.

Continuing along the tracks, I was startled to find an unusual looking sandpiper at the near edge of a puddle right next to the tracks in good light. I got down as low as I could and scuffled forward a few yards under my camo cloth to get the images I've posted here.