ML249155491

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

A juvenile found in with a group of about 75 peeps on the west shore of the North Regional Pond. This bird first stuck out to me due to its very pale appearance, lacking any rufous coloration on the head or tertials like WESA show. It had a very short, thick, black bill, straight all the way to the tip, which was slightly bulbous. The SESA had extensive white on the face, and a notable supercilium compared to the nearby WESA. The underparts where white with a light pale wash across the breast, lacking the dark chevrons that WESA have. The legs where black, and at times I could see some partial webbing between the toes. It heavily favored a small pool of water and the surrounding algal mats on the west side of the pond, always returning to that spot whenever the peeps flushed. Both the WESA and LESA frequently chased the SESA around, which is interesting since I have heard that the opposite is often the case. I slowly worked my way closer to the bird over the course of about 20 minutes, and was rewarded with incredibly close views from less than 20', the peeps not seeming to mind and actually moving closer to me as I waited. At one point the SESA walked right through my shadow! Bart Wickel later joined me and I viewed the bird with him. Many photos, Lifer!

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF400mm f/5.6L USM

ISO

100

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/640 sec

Dimensions

1610 pixels x 1150 pixels

Original file size

1.24 MB