ML132879641

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Chet McGaugh found this bird earlier in the day in the ponds northeast of the Walker Parking Lot, and during an afternoon trip, Howard and I relocated it in this same area. Although we typically saw this bird in pond F6-7, it was moderately wary and it moved around quite a bit, flushing repeatedly and providing reasonable views in flight. I once heard a soft, whistled call that I thought was given by this bird. My recollection of this call was "pur-we," but even moments later I was unsure about the precise pattern of the sound. I thought this bird was slightly smaller than nearby Long-billed Dowitchers or about the same size as a Killdeer. It was also plump and rather compact, with a relatively short bill, a small and clearly rounded head, a short neck, and medium-length wings and legs. The relatively slim bill tapered from a base of medium depth to a pointed tip along a culmen that seemed to be very slightly decurved. The bill was also only slightly longer than the head was wide. The forehead was relatively steep and the crown was gently rounded, both on a head that was relatively small given the size of the bird. The neck was short and inconspicuous, but the body was plump and full-chested. The posture was slightly more upright than horizontal, and the medium-length wings tapered to a pointed rear end, but I failed to determine precisely the primary projection (though it appeared to be relatively short), and I was unsure if the wingtips reached beyond the tip of the short tail, which I saw only when the bird was in flight. I thought this bird's legs were comparable in length to those of the dowitchers. Upon superficial examination, this bird was paler and more grayish than nearby dowitchers, yet a closer look revealed a peach cast to the belly and flanks. The forehead, crown, and nape were pale gray with fine streaks of darker gray that seemed to continue down the back of the neck. The face pattern combined a relatively narrow and somewhat diffuse supercilium that extended through the supraloral region, over the eye, and back along the upper edge of the auriculars. I further noticed a dark loral-stripe and a grayish wash to auriculars that seemed similar to the crown in their pattern and coloration. The feathers of the upperparts and wings each seemed to have a similar yet complex pattern that was less conspicuous on the small feathers of the mantle than on the larger scapulars, wing coverts, and tertials. Each feather had a medium-gray center that contrasted not only with a narrow yet well-defined fringe that was pale gray to whitish, but also with a fine, dark shaft-streak and subterminal band. The pattern on each feather therefore combined a scaly appearance overall with anchor-shaped markings internally. The exposed primary tips contrasted as darker than the rest of the wing. When seen in flight, the spread wings were a pale to medium-gray with a relatively indistinct band of whitish across the bases of the remiges. I was unable to see the rump and tail when the bird was on land, but both appeared to be pale gray with darker barring that was fine and inconspicuous when seen in flight. I think the throat was pale, but I did not note this clearly in the field. I was more certain that the breast and sides were pale gray with dark streaking that was fine and inconspicuous. The belly and flanks were washed with an odd, peach color. I thought the flanks were indistinctly streaked, but I never did see clearly either the undertail coverts or the underside of the tail. The bill appeared to be entirely black, the eyes were dark, and the legs were a dull, yellowish-olive in color, but I am not sure I ever saw the feet.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P5100

ISO

64

Focal length

18.6 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/6.0

Shutter speed

1/250 sec

Dimensions

1650 pixels x 1308 pixels

Original file size

1.28 MB