ML35486451

Age and sex

Juvenile, Unknown sex - X

Media notes

at Cow Island Pond; note long primary projection

Observation details

**rare; juvenile; first spotted on rocky island in Cow Island Pond (viewed from behind Ice Rink) and approached along shoreline to confirmatory looks and (poor) photos. A slender Pluvialis with fine scalloping on breast, golden cast to upperparts feathers, long primaries extending well past the tertials, a slender bill, and a darker cap setting off a prominent supercilium. I was confident on species ID (eliminating juv Black-bellied or another golden-plover) but then the shorebirds all flushed (possibly a raptor) and the golden-plover flew off calling with a diagnostic loud "kleee-eep" call and showed even gray underwings. It flew up towards Millennium Park. When I left the Ice Rink I tried checking for the bird back at the boat ramp (which I had checked just before) and then on the soccer fields, finally finding the bird on the uppermost field; after getting digibinned photos from the uppermost field, the bird again took flight (possibly startled when I started walking away from it) and flew overhead calling again and flew back to Cow Island Pond where it dropped down. Species #216 for me at Millennium Park and first park record for species #229 overall. Digibinned photos from both locations.

Technical information

Model

iPhone 5c

Lens

iPhone 5c back camera 4.12mm f/2.4

ISO

50

Focal length

4.1 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/2.4

Shutter speed

1/120 sec

Dimensions

3264 pixels x 2448 pixels

Original file size

1.46 MB