I was finally able to get out after work this evening around 6.45pm to see what this strong cold front and brutal north winds had put down. I decided to give Hornsby Bend a look since I figured shorebirds that were hunkered down would be easier to sort through & find then passerines. The gusty winds (25-30mph perhaps) and the cold temps (high 40s) made for a difficult time but I was rewarded about 10 minutes into my efforts when I heard two shorebirds making an unfamiliar call as they quickly flew past me over the ponds and into the area around the drying beds. I only got a glimpse of them, though combined with their call, I was pretty sure they were Piping Plovers. I searched in vain for 20 minutes and had just about given up when I found them again on the dike road between Pond 1East and 1West. A couple other folks came out later and likely have better photos by here's one I took through the car window in the fading light of early evening: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecarpe/8703825770/in/photostream In addition, there were lots of other shorebirds hunkered down on the edges of both Pond 1West and Pond 2 (several hundred Wilson's Phalaropes). Mostly typical stuff for this time of year though a couple bright alternate plumage Western Sandpipers were nice as were 3 Am. Avocets, 3 LB Dowitchers, and a handful of Stilt Sandpipers mostly in alternate plumage. I suspect all of this will still be around tomorrow until the winds subside. -- Eric Carpenter Austin Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner