While exploring the famous landfill in Garfield Heights (Cuyahoga County)
behind a medical/office building (near I-480 & Transportation Blvd), in the
span of ten minutes I unintentionally flushed about 8 Spotted Sandpipers.
They flew from low sparse weeds and each did an almost Killdeer-like
injured-bird display. I assume they flushed from their nests. Half were in
the crown vetch on a fairly steep slope, about 100 yards from the nearest
water (a small pond) and about 50 to 100 feet higher in elevation; the rest
were higher on the plateau. After each flush I would then think there can’t
be any more, yet as I tried to avoid a displaying bird, I’d flush another.
The entire area where they were found was only about ½ to 1 acre of the 20
acres or so of undeveloped landfill, so I wonder how many more nested there.

 

I couldn’t find any documentation on Spotted Sandpiper nests other than
location and # of eggs. Has anyone else ever seen this nest-density for
Spotted Sandpipers?

 

Fred Dinkelbach


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