Dear MoBirders,

As Edge Wade Reported for me: I came across (2) UPLAND SANDPIPERS at the 
First Parking Area (in front of the small pond) at Pool 4, this Parking Area is 
down the First One-Way Loop that you come to as you are Entering Eagle 
Bluffs (The "Pump-House" is Directly across the Road from it...).

As I was driving into the Parking Area to scan the Pond, (2) Birds Flushed 
directly in front of my Van, at first all that I saw was that they were fairly big 
and light/medium brown in colour... Then they set down about 20' in front of 
me, and I could see immediately that they were Upland Sandpipers!!! They 
were 11-12" Tall with a Skinny/Narrow Neck, smallish (for the Body Size...) 
Round Head with Prominent Dark Eye and a somewhat Short Sandpiper-like Bill. 
The Colouring on it's Back, Wings and Top of the Head was a somewhat 
Mottled Tan/Brown/Black, it's Face (or at least around the eyes...) and Belly 
were a Creamy Buff, and Legs were Yellowish... 

The two Birds stayed in front of my Van, just watching me and looking around 
for a quite a while... Then I thought... I don't remember anyone Reporting an 
Upland Sandpiper out here before...??? So I called Edge and let her know to 
see if it was an Interesting Bird Sighting, and she Reported it to MoBirds... Like 
I told her, it seemed like they may have been a Breeding/Nesting Pair, as they 
wouldn't Leave... Most of the Upland Sandpipers that I have come across like 
this (Flushing them out...), just kept on Moving: either Running down the Road 
or Path and then into the Grass or Flying Away to another area. These two 
just stayed there, looking around and watching me, kind of like Killdeer do 
when you're near their Nests (save for the "Broken Wing" Ploy...)... 10-15 
minutes at least... While on the phone to Edge, one of them slipped out of my 
sight, I'm assuming that it moved into the nearby brush, but I didn't see where 
it went to..., the other one stayed on for another 7-10 minutes or so and 
then Flew North over the Road to a small Open Area in Pool 1 with some Short 
Grass (this Area is to the Right as you enter the One-Way Road that heads 
back to the Main Road - near the Flood Gate of Pool 1). At this point I left, 
Hoping that if they were indeed Nesting, that they would Return after I was 
gone, so that others could see them...

Later (30-40 Min.), after checking out a few other areas for Shorebirds (Only 
14-18+ LEAST SANDPIPERS & Many KILLDEER) and Meeting a Very Nice 
Gentleman/Birder and Conservationist, Neil Young (Please Forgive me if I got 
your Name Wrong - I'm Horrible with Names...), I headed back to Pool 4 to see 
if the Uplands had come back... As I was heading that direction, I saw that 
Sandra Elbert was turning down the road ahead of me, so I followed her in... 
Unfortunately, they had not Returned, at least not at that time... We 
Searched the Fields in the General Area and I gave a good Look over the small 
Open Area where the last one Flew to, but we saw nothing... 

There was a SOLITARY SANDPIPER down at Pool 2 near the Blind (where the 
Road goes into the Pond). 

Hopefully the Uplands will Return or at least be Seen by someone else in the 
Area, and if so, Please do Post it!!! I have only Seen them at various Sod 
Farms and Bradford Farm in Boone County, so it would be Neat to Know that 
they are around Eagle Bluffs also, and even more so if they are Breeding 
there!!! Please let me know if you have Seen Similar Behaviour from Upland 
Sandpipers either Near their Nests or away from them, I'm Curious as they 
were just So Closeto me and my Running Van... Thank You... Please Take Care 
and the Very Best of Birding to You All!!!

Yours,
Jonathan B. Pons
Columbia, Boone County 

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