ML22349361

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Captured from video.

Observation details

Observed from 1215-1415 at the sewage ponds, Tom Schooley and I had driven out from Olympia upon hearing of this bird which had been found by Patrick and Ruth Sullivan the day before. Weather was poor, showers, breezy, and cool. Nonetheless, we were able to get very good close views, through the scope at 30x and binoculars, and some good video. Habitat is cobble and weedy sewage pond edge. The stint was feeding actively at water's edge and up into drier areas, rarely motionless, covering fair distances quickly. It had a nervous aspect, bobbing its tail and teetering infrequently. It seemed solitary, sometimes feeding near Dunlin but often on its own, no interactions noted. When it took flight, it was usually just across the pond, flight wasn't direct but often weaved a bit, and it threw in occassional bursts of a Spotted Sandpiper-like wing flutter. After a harrier passed, watched it in towering flight, it circled the pond several times at about 100' before dropping back down again. I noted the following details as I watched it, often discussing them with other observers, including the Sullivans and Tom Schooley. A small, grayish-brown shorebird, less than 2/3 size of Dunlin, long tail extends beyond wing tips, which appear long as well, plump chest, small head, relatively long dull yellow legs, narrow short straight dark bill which is not much longer than head. Underparts entirely whitish, save for the dull gray-brown patches on each side of chest. Upperparts fairly dull grayish-brown, lightest on the head and nape which show only a touch of pattern. A faint light supercilium and darker eye line are visible, on close inspection a faint narrow light eye ring is also visible. Crown shows very fine dark streaking and is a bit darker than the rest of the head. Upper back is brownish, with a faint mottling to the worn appearing feathers. Viewed from rear, back feather tract appears to be bordered by narrow dark scapular lines, I think this was an artifact of how it was holding its coverts. Median coverts were less patterned than greater coverts, showing narrow dark shafts and narrow black outlining, with little trace of the whitish tips of immature plumage. Greater coverts showed more of the whitish tips, giving a bit of a scaly effect. Tertials were grayish with lighter edges. Folded primaries appeared blackish. Rectrices extended beyond the primary tips, often showing conspicuous white edges. In flight, the white wing stripe is fairly prominent, more obvious than on Least, comparable to a Dunlin. Outer rectrices are all white, with a narrow dark stripe down the center of the tail.

Technical information

Dimensions

640 pixels x 480 pixels

Original file size

65.63 KB