ML363846911
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Media notes
Continuing Dunlin in faced, alternate plumage initially spotted by Guy McCaskie here photographed by Curtis A. Marantz on 18 August 2021 along the northern shore of Obsidian Butte, south end Salton Sea, Imperial County, California.
Observation details
McCaskie spotted the continuing Dunlin shorty after we began scanning the shoreline at the north end of Obsidian Butte from our usual observation point just west of the old boat ramp. While the others continued to scan the shoreline, I walked down road and beach to get some photos of this bird, which I observed foraging in a small channel along the shoreline and later as to stood on the adjacent flats. It eventually flew off to the east and I lost track of it without ever hearing it vocalize. This was a relatively small sandpiper that was nevertheless somewhat larger and heavier-bodied than the Western and Least sandpipers with which it was associated. Clearly apparent was a long, slim bill that was longer than the head and tapering from a base of medium-depth to a pointed tip along a culmen that was straight for about the basal three-quarters of its length before angling more sharply downward. A relatively steep forehead and a rounded crown accentuated the long bill on a head that seemed small relative to the bird’s size. I thought the neck was short and inconspicuous, and also that the body was plump and full-chested, but I did not carefully note the primary projection, the wing length, or the length of the tail. The legs were slim and of unremarkable length for a small sandpiper, and not as long as I may have expected from a Curlew Sandpiper. This bird had rather unusual plumage patterns, in that the belly was solidly black, yet the head and upperparts lacked rufous. Although I did not study the finer details of this bird’s plumage, I noted that the head and neck appeared to be medium-gray with what appeared to be a finely streaked appearance, but without an obvious supercilium. I further noted that the foreneck and breast were grayish with fine streaking, and thus contrasting sharply with the large patch of black that appeared to cover essentially the entire belly. Although I failed to notice it in the field, there is a conspicuous band of whitish across the upper part of the belly that separates the grayish breast from the black belly. Likewise escaping me in the field, but clearly evident in my photos are that the flanks were narrowly whitish and the undertail coverts were entirely white, which results in the black belly patch being encircled by white. My impression of the upperparts was that they were entirely dark and generally grayish on the wings, which lacked bold pattern, but even darker on a back that appeared more sooty than gray. I thought I saw some indistinct suggestions of rufous apparent as narrow fringes to scapulars that were really quite worn, as were the mantle feathers, the wing coverts, and tertials. My recollection is that the bill was entirely black, and eyes and legs were dark, but I cannot now recall their precise coloration.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II
- Lens
- EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
- ISO
- 320
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/8.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/1250 sec
- Dimensions
- 1852 pixels x 1224 pixels
- Original file size
- 3.34 MB