ML290958351

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Headed to Georgica to look for Wilson's snipe, but they had taken a rain check. Through the wind and increasingly heavy rain, I saw a small, rotund bird land on the inlet. Despite my initial disbelief, its swimming style, body shape, stubby bill, and color scheme made it identifiable as a dovekie. To my growing bewilderment, the bird then flew through a grove of oak trees and landed clumsily in a patch of greenbrier and goldenrod. Myles Stokowski then came to the rescue armed with scope and camera. We watched for a half hour as it preened and shuffled through the bushes. It showed no obvious signs of injury. The Gangemi family then arrived and, since the bird seemed disoriented and was in danger from nocturnal predators, we decided to coax it toward the water. It shimmied halfway there but then began swimming in a deep puddle, forcing me to wade in and pick the bird up. I released it into the bay, whereupon it swam quickly against the tide to the mouth of the inlet. Photo

Technical information

Original file size

1.63 MB