Ruddy Turnstone, Wandering Tattler

["Kristin Purdy" <kristinpurdy at comcast dot net>]

I saw an adult male RUDDY TURNSTONE still in breeding plumage at 
Antelope Island Causeway this morning at the 'No Swimming' bridge just 
west of mm 5.  The bird was on the north side of the causeway, east side 
of the channel, approximately 150-200 yards out.  This bird was a 
Houdini bird--it appeared and disappeared 3 or 4 times while I was 
taking notes and socializing, but the bird always returned.  I saw him 
flush once with a Black-bellied Plover and once with three Snowy 
Plovers.  The last turnstone sighting was around 3 pm--I think by Deedee 
O'Brien and Steve Carr.    

While I was watching the turnstone for the first time, I saw Paul 
Higgins working his way slowly down the causeway toward me.  He appeared 
to be having a pleasant and serene time and was photographing shorebirds 
as he approached.  All that tranquility ended when I screamed down to 
his location, practically accosted him and dragged him back to the 
channel with me to shoot the turnstone.  Paul was a congenial, 
enthusiastic and accomodating victim.  I think I paid him back in spades 
later on.    

I watched the turnstone for perhaps 1 1/2 hours or so and then finally 
dragged myself away to search for Pomera's WANDERING TATTLER.  I found 
the tattler on the south side of the bridge closest to the marina.  It 
was standing on just about the closest possible rock to the bridge on 
the east side of the channel.  As I stood on the bridge next to the 
concrete railing and faced south over the channel, the bird was on a 
rock to the left of my position at the base of the old, wavy concrete 
overlook that's now closed.  

I summoned Paul away from the turnstone.  By the time he arrived (and I 
watched his truck move lickety-split along the causeway), the bird was a 
little more active and was foraging on a rock at water's edge.  
According to Paul's yard-long lens (I write some goofy things, but I'm 
not kidding about that measurement) we were 68 feet away from the 
tattler.  It was a shooting and viewing opportunity par excellence.  
Paul took approximately 50 shots. 

We were later joined by Steve and Deedee, who also enjoyed great views 
of the bird as it moved further south on the rocks.  

Kris

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