ML627814694

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

On shoreline with Least and Western Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, Ring-billed Gulls, etc. Roughly in the vicinity of the large elevated hunting blind on the shoreline. The bird was walking and foraging about 25m back from the shoreline; we were observing from the airboat which was stopped (engine off) about 5 meters offshore. Identity immediately obvious, but it was not easy to observe through the scope on the airboat (even though the very shallow water was smooth); I did manage to get about 4 very poor digiscoped photos, of which two show enough to confirm the bird's identity. These photos have been sent to Guy McCaskie for NAB. A medium-small calidrid, clearly larger than the Least and Western Sandpipers present, but clearly smaller than Black-bellied Plovers. Overall rather rich buffy, a bit darker and more mottled above. Head buffy, with an indistinct, broad pale eye-ring. Legs long and dull yellow; the bird walked with a slightly forward-leaning gait, as if the legs were too long for the body. The head, in contrast, seemed almost too small for the body; the bill was moderately short, straight, slender and black. The bird flew once, moving about 15-20 m eastward along the mudflats; in flight it showed glaringly white underwings that contrasted with the rest of the plumage. This species was unrecorded int he Salton Sink until just a few years ago when Guy McCaskie found one in September along Sinclair Rd. at English Rd. I'm not sure if there are subsequent records here, but I doubt there are many later records for California (there is a December record from San Diego).

Technical information

Model

DMC-ZS19

ISO

160

Focal length

11.7 mm

Flash

Flash fired, auto

f-stop

f/4.9

Shutter speed

1/400 sec

Dimensions

1388 pixels x 1041 pixels

Original file size

274.23 KB