ML176356331
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
- Playback
- Not specified
Observation details
Adding voice recording of this bird so people can help correctly identify it. (1 pm update; I feel confident this is a bit of an odd Pacific Golden-Plover, so have changed the species ID). Conditions at the ponds were low overcast with intermittent drizzle. I heard an odd shorebird flight call in the distance toward the north of the south dike but could not see it. I decided I should record it because the short list of shorebird flight calls I did not know only included really weird things or odd variations of also-locally-rare shorebirds. I turned on Voice Record Pro on my iPhone and kept looking up. Finally I spotted two ducks (NOPI) flying and saw a third bird with them. They were all apparently in the clouds earlier. The shorebird was a largish plover in shape so I immediately thought it must be an odd golden-plover. No black axiliaries, so not an odd-sounding BBPL. Tail was squarish with potentially somewhat longer central rectrices, plain overall. I could not see any wingstripe. It was pale below with somewhat paler under-tail area. The lack of wingstripe confused me. The underwings were dusky but I wondered if conditions prevented my ability to see a wingstripe. Head was largish and bill was short, basically not visible, ruling out most non-plover shorebirds. Wings were long and pointed as in nearly all plovers. The bird came as close as about 100 yards and I saw it flying for probably 1 minute but it was high most of the time. The recording I attach is over 3 minutes long but often the bird was too far away for the phone to pick up the sounds. As the bird disappeared into the distance, going mostly NW, I ran through my mind what species might have that shape and have a sound I could not immediately call to mind. Surfbird popped up and that's what I say at the end of this recording but that is obviously wrong; plumage markings do not match and call is totally wrong. I will edit that statement out later. For now, the original recording is attached. It did not sound like any golden-plover I recalled hearing so that led me to listen to dotterel on xeno-canto. Seemed to fit pretty well, but maybe it is just an odd golden-plover or some call type I have not heard. Let's figure out what this is.
Technical information
- Recorder
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 2.91 MB