ML94723251

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Should be new county bird! I was parked on the side of Boone Blvd watching the Tuscaloosa air show when all of a sudden I saw this large shorebird with extremely long bill about to land in front of me in a large mud puddle created from yesterday’s rain showers. The bird banked and never landed. It took off in the N or NW direction. Then I quickly got my camera and took some photos. The photos only show the bird’s silhouette in flight due to extreme cloudy conditions. The photos were my best look at the bird. I initially thought it was just a greater yellowlegs, then thought no it’s a long-billed dowitcher. However, upon looking at the bill structure in my photos it clearly became apparent it was a Godwit. The bill is larger at the base and slightly upturned. You can notice ever so slightly the brownish/blackish primary/secondary feather colorations in one of the frames that match the MAGO. You can tell also that the base of the bill is a lighter color than the tip of the bill and the bill becomes tapered at the end unlike a dowitcher. Totally unexpected sighting for sure. We did have tornado-like storms yesterday which probably through this North-bound bird off it’s typical Spring migratory course. Photos coming soon.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS REBEL T5

Lens

EF75-300mm f/4-5.6

ISO

400

Focal length

300 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/3200 sec

Dimensions

5184 pixels x 3456 pixels

Original file size

4.49 MB