ML31460441
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult, Unknown sex - X
- Tags
- Habitat
Media notes
Here the Surfbird is in the process of landing after having flown across from its momentary prior perch at the edge of the boulder to the right in this photo (see photo ML31469451). Here it is braking for a landing, showing its white underwing coverts, a darkish comma at the bend of the wing, a white belly, and stout legs with toes bearing substantial dark claws.
Observation details
All of the Surfbird photos were taken from the outer (i.e., eastern) 60% of the South Jetty: RULING OUT FOUR ID-COMPETITORS RELATIVE TO SURFBIRD PURPLE SANDPIPER (PUSA): In addition to differing in bill shape, PUSA’s bill is yellow at both mandible bases; Surfbird’s different-shaped bill has a large orange base only on the lower mandible (ML31460431); PUSA’s entire tail and uppertail coverts are dark vs. Surfbird’s widely black-tipped tail with white tail base/uppertail coverts (ML31460411). PUSA has its rufous scapular color in feather fringes, but Surfbird’s is in large internal ovals (ML31460431) ROCK SANDPIPER (ROSA): ROSA and PUSA have many similarities, and the exclusionary analyses for PUSA apply also to ROSA. BLACK TURNSTONE: Several factors rule this out, including, strikingly, its bright white back and bright white area at topside wing base anterior to the white wing stripe, very different than Surfbird (ML31460411). GREAT KNOT: Among other factors, its bill is wrong because it has a much longer and entirely black bill vs. the differently shaped, colored, and sized bill of Surfbird (ML31460431).
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 10D
- ISO
- 400
- Focal length
- 85 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/11.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/750 sec
- Dimensions
- 1905 pixels x 1342 pixels
- Original file size
- 598.27 KB