Sharp-tailed Sandpiper - Dave Czaplak
Report

Contributor

Date

Location

Swan Creek Wetland--Cox Creek DMCF (access by guided tour only)
Anne Arundel, Maryland, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist
Map
Map Coordinates: 39.1934881, -76.5353537
Age
Not specified
Sex
Not specified

Observation details

Found by Matt Hafner yesterday, re-found by Mike Burchett this morning. Molting adult. About the size of Pectoral Sandpiper but distinctly rounder bodied in all poses. Bill about the same length as Pectoral, slightly decurved. (Bill averages shorter for Sharp-tailed but I have photographed birds in Australia with even longer bills, so I think length is ok https://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S9615584). Legs dark greenish. Bill black with very small pale area at base. Cap was dark rufous brown, with sharply defined edge against pale supercilium behind eye. (But supercilium very weak.) Mantle, scapulars and tertials very dark brown, evenly fringed pale buff on most. A hint of more rufous color to the back in some light. Pair of weak pale gold tram lines down back. Breast heavily spotted. Markings stronger and larger on sides of breast, slightly weaker in center, and markings on lower breast blending more with white of belly. Dark markings continuing down flanks, just scattered spots on left side, but still a few sharp chevrons on right side, under wing. Heavier streaks on sides on undertail coverts at start of tail. Thinner, but still sharp, streaks and spots all across under-tail, see photo. ( I have a photo from Austraila that suggests this pattern, https://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S9721576). In flight, almost no wingstripe, dark rump and center of upper tail coverts contrasting with white sides of coverts, and dark tail. The supercilium was only poorly defined, and there was almost no eyering, perhaps just a hint at the top of the eye, so the identification as Sharp-tailed is based only on the underpart markings. The bird was always easy to re-find because it was the fattest bird in its size group, and the darkest.

Technical information

Model
Canon EOS 80D
Lens
EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
ISO
250
Focal length
400 mm
Flash
Flash did not fire, auto
f-stop
f/5.6
Shutter speed
1/320 sec
Dimensions
853 pixels x 679 pixels
Original file size
161.43 KB