ML613086245

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Small Calidris sandpiper with webbing (semipalmations) between outer toes. Semipalmated Sandpiper (SESA) has been suggested by other observers. But SESA is recorded far more rarely in the winter in the US, especially in the northeast, than Western Sandpiper (WESA), so further analysis is necessary on this bird. The bill is intermediate in size, tapered and slightly downcurved, suggesting male WESA equally likely as female SESA. In response to suggestions that bill tip is "blunt" and therefore likely to be that of a SESA, I suggest viewing bill shape drawings in shorebird banding guide from UK, Prater, Marchant, Vuorinen Guide to the Identification and Aging of Holarctic Waders, page 84. The drawings show a bulbous end to the bills of both SESA and WESA. My only hesitation on the bill is that the side view of the head shows a fairly heavy base to the bill and not the rapid tapering that is seen on most WESA bills. The plumage is truly indeterminate; BUT in every photo a small number of upper scapular feathers are dark and in a few photos some strands of rufous can be discerned. This is yet another reason to not rush to judgement on this bird. In summary, to cite Brian Harrington, let us not assign more information than we actually have. We do NOT know that this bird is a SESA, nor that it is a WESA. The likelihood of WESA is higher just statistically. I suggest we keep the designation of "small Calidris" and not go further.

Technical information

Model

DMC-G7

ISO

800

Focal length

364 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/6.1

Shutter speed

1/500 sec

Dimensions

2000 pixels x 2000 pixels

Original file size

2.27 MB