Two Purple Sandpipers, reported on Saturday, 12/16/06, were still present
yesterday afternoon between 1:00 and 2:00 pm beyond the lighthouse
accessible from Headlands Beach State Park.  The walk out the jetty was
fine with almost all of the rocks/boulders dry with no ice.  Some of the
rocks on the way around the lighthouse were wet.  The two Purple
Sandpipers were almost to the end of the jetty/breakwater, which beyond
the lighthouse is round steel encased bulwarks filled with massive rocks
and concrete.  They were feeding and flying around in the second or third
bulwark from the very end.  There were two men fishing out near the end,
but the birds were relatively unafraid, flying around them.  I got at
least two good photographs in the poor light (cloudy and misty!) by
standing and sitting quietly.  They flew in and came almost underfoot!
That's the closest view I have ever had of Purple Sandpipers, which I have
seen almost yearly on the east coast.  I scanned the breakwall opposite
the light house.  I did not see more than two Purple Sandpipers (5 were
reported there yesterday, Sunday, 12/17/06).  I will post the photos
either on the new Ohio Birds website for photos or on RareBird.org later
today.
Jay

Jay G. Lehman
Cincinnati, OH
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