ML197776081

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

While walking along the jetty and sunset, I came across an unusually pale Plectrophenax bunting at (49.021278, -123.108722). The all white rump made me wonder if this could be a Mckay's Bunting rather than the expected Snow Bunting, so I took a number of photos. Upon returning home, I saw on eBird that a Snow Bunting had seen first by Mike Klotz and as well as a couple other observers at this location prior to my sighting. I reached out, and their photos revealed they had seen the same pale bird. I alerted a few birders in the area to keep an eye out for this unusually pale bunting and to attempt wing and tail photos, and it was subsequently seen by a few other observers. The bunting was left without any confident identification for a while. Thanks to Melissa Hafting, the photos eventually made their way to experts in Alaska, who identified it as a female (likely adult) Mckay's Bunting. An excellently detailed full summary of the identification can be seen here, with input from Jack Withrow and Jason Rogers as to why this is a female Mckay's, and likely an adult: http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com/2020/01/mckays-bunting-in-delta-dec-7-10th-late.html

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

1250

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

0.02 sec

Dimensions

1500 pixels x 1000 pixels

Original file size

941.76 KB