ML27560411

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Media notes

This photo provides a straight side-on photo, nicely showing some loose, scruffy, still-in-molt feathers on its top side and a side view of the ruddy spots remaining on its belly. Again, these features reinforce the evidence for species identity, and combined with the many other features (size, giss, and color patterns) shown in these photos decisively document species as Bar-tailed Godwit and subspecies (or subgrouping as some authors put it) as lapponica (i.e., of European origin).

Observation details

This rare godwit was found by my wife and me on October 13, 2014 in Swantner Park, Corpus Christi (Nueces Co.) TX in the company dozens of Marbled Godwits. This exceedingly rare visitor was never seen outside their company. We had been alerted to the presence of this rare visitor at that park, thanks to reports on TEXBIRDS. The godwits spent most of their time foraging in tall grass in the park, the Bar-tailed accompanying the Marbled flock wherever the latter went. Despite this rare visitor's smaller stature and notably shorter legs, it walked surprisingly fast and often moved from back somewhere in the group to or near the front of it as they walked, at least when they were in a true walking mode (e.g., on a sidewalk), rather than foraging. Most of the godwits' time was spent foraging in the grass, which included frequent moves from one grassy area to another, but on one occasion the entire flock took flight, flew over the seawall, and landed on the shoreline of adjacent Corpus Christi Bay. There they mainly preened and rested. One of the photos herewith shows much of the flock (some was cut off in cropping photo length to meet eBird exigencies) together on the shoreline below the seawall, the Bar-tailed Godwit with them. Four other photos herein disclose multiple species identification-relevant characteristics. We studied and photographed these godwits at a respectable distance, using binoculars, scope, and a telephotos lenses affording up to 20X. We never flushed the flock, and neither did another individual, apparently not a birder, who once walked on a sidewalk, rapidly, right beside them. In short, the flock did not seem nervous or high-strung, and once as my wife and I stood watching and photographing the flock it moved steadily toward us--so much so that my wife exclaimed, "They look like they are going to come right up to us!" They, of course, stopped short, but still surprisingly close. We cannot complain at all about cooperative birds, especially rare ones.

Technical information

Model

COOLPIX P520

ISO

1600

Focal length

133.7 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/8.0

Shutter speed

1/2500 sec

Dimensions

1413 pixels x 795 pixels

Original file size

324.36 KB