ML254979181

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

Feathers with rich brown tones, creamy fringes.

Observation details

continuing bird from yesterday, initially mis-identified as a Baird’s Sandpiper from afar in the field. However, webbing between the toes as seen in today's photos rules out all but Semipalmated Sandpipers and Western Sandpipers. When compared to Western Sandpipers, this sandpiper consistently shows a number of Semipalmated characteristics including the shorter, straighter, thicker bill, the smaller, rounder head, the more compact body shape, and also the leg placement that is farther forward (giving a better balanced appearance overall.) One photo shows a slightly bulbous tip of the bill which I believe might be expected for both SESA and WESA. I would like to find additional authoritative information on this point. Today’s photos also reveal Semipalmated juvenal plumage with the strong facial pattern, dark cap, dark cheek, and bold supercilium. Western juvenal plumage is similar, but the cap is not as dark, nor is the cheek. This has the effect of diminishing the contrast with the white supercilium as well as with the face below the cheek patch, toning down the whole appearance of the face of the Western. In the Semipalmated, the supercilium really stands out, accentuated as it is by its position between the dark cap and the dark cheek. The plumage of our bird is all in rich browns and with creamy feather fringes as is the case for SESA, whereas WESA has a crisper look with more black and white in evidence. Additionally and importantly, the bright rufous edging to the upper scapulars, which would be expected to be present in juvenile Western Sandpipers but absent in juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers, is not seen at all on any of our photos from any angle. None of our photos favors Western over Semipalmated. All of the available evidence indicates that this bird is a Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P610

ISO

220

Focal length

516 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.5

Shutter speed

1/250 sec

Dimensions

4608 pixels x 3456 pixels

Original file size

6.05 MB