ML69837711

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

On bike path along Ballona Creek, about 100 yards east of the Pacific St. bridge, I saw a godwit that caught my eye. The white eyebrow that was bright and extended back behind the eye is what caught my attention. It was with a couple other marbled godwits and willets and plovers. Besides the eyebrow, and perhaps a less-cinnamony coloring, it didn't look all that different anywhere from the marbled godwits (maybe slightly smaller). I was on it with my binoculars when it and another godwit flew off, directly away from me. I wasn't able to observe any underwing details, but I did see the back and tail. The rump patch appeared whiter, or at least contrasted a bit more with the back and end of tail than the rump of the Marbled Godwit it flew away with. I did not notice any obvious black at the end of the tail, or see any obvious white stripe in the wing, but I wasn't intentionally looking for those features. I can't say whether the rump was streaked or not. The birds flew WSW toward and beyond the Pacific Street bridge and I didn't see them land. Tide was rising, and not very low. The godwits and willets like this spot at low tide, often congregating in big numbers (usually mostly willets, often a couple dozen godwits). My first-ever birding police species find, 2nd-ever LA county record for eBird (other = 1976). Accepted by CRBC, record number 2017-092.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D5100

ISO

500

Focal length

300 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/1000 sec

Dimensions

4928 pixels x 3264 pixels

Original file size

6.45 MB