ML20256991

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

This adult in pre-Basic molt was found by Robby Lambert on 9 Oct and refound and identified by Lysle Brinker on 10 Oct. Peter Vickery, Ed Hess, Jeremiah Trimble, and Rick Heil subsequently confirmed the identification and photographed the bird. This morning, Don Mairs and I met Davis Finch and refound the bird in the same area of the marsh it had been foraging before, after, and during high tides. The European Golden-Plover remained in loose company with the two juvenile American Golden-Plovers. These Pluvialis plovers foraged mainly in the grassy areas SW of the pannes. We could find only small midges in the grass and never saw the birds probe deeply. Perhaps there were other, more substantial, invertebrates these birds were after. The plovers had been seen on sand and mudflats yesterday, where they undoubtedly found larger prey. Brief description of key characters seen: First heard in flight--a mellow, single tuui (barely rising if at all). Under wing coverts and axillaries brilliant white. On the ground, a Pluvialis plover somewhat larger (heavier-bodied) than the P. dominica present, with rounder breast and more pot-bellied appearance. Forehead steeper than juv. dominica, being almost vertical off base of bill. Bill was finer tipped, having very little swelling to the "nail" at tip of bill typical of dominica (and fulva). This gave the bill a finer and "shorter" appearance (although length roughly the same). Appeared as tall as dominica but on relatively shorter exposed legs, the exposed portion of the tibia (bare leg from joint to feathering and/or belly) being especially short by comparison. Gold spangling on upperparts finer and more abundant than juv. dominica; the color bright yellowish-gold. This was especially noticeable on the tertials, which fell well short of primary tips (primary tips extended to tip of tail; not noticeably beyond tail tip). Head showed a distinct whitish buff supercillium curving downward along side of neck (a bit stronger yellowish tinge posteriorly). Face with blackish mottling, which extended down center of neck to scattered black blotches on lower breast and belly. Head-on, this dark line of mottling very narrow and giving impression of P. apricaria breeding patter where this line quite narrow between white at sides of breast and down flanks. Crown dark. The pattern, to me, resembled most that of a fading adult female, although sexing the bird would not be possible in this plumage. In flight, the white underwings were striking and obvious. The wings appeared somewhat broader through the inner wing than dominica. A whitish stripe was distinct across the base of the primaries (brighter than on dominica). The wing was somewhat ragged and appeared to be molting remiges. Tail appeared finely barred blackish (finer than dominicas?). This is a first state record for Maine. It is the first in the Northeast away from the Canadian provinces (most records from April-May on Newfoundland, with a two records each for Quebec and Nova Scotia). There is a mid-January record from 2001 at Ketchikan, Alaska. This is the first well-documented record for fall in North America. A sighting from 15-21 Oct 1988 at Hartlen Pt., Nova Scotia was seen by reliable observers and likely is correct (I don't know what documentation exists for this record). There is an August record from Funk I. off Newfoundland, and the Quebec records are from late June and late July. A late July Pluvialis at Bombay Hook, Delaware, was thought to be P. apricaria, but film and descriptions suggest it is more likely P. fulva (I have seen the film and agree).

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P5100

ISO

64

Focal length

7.5 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/3.0

Shutter speed

5/1108 sec

Dimensions

1042 pixels x 781 pixels

Original file size

231.25 KB