ML94923581

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

***mega; ad alt; found by PJL; confirmed with SSM, BBo, TS; mob. Small Tringa resembling in various ways LEYE, SOSA, and SPSA. Compared to LEYE, it showed shorter legs, bill, and wingtips. The legs were furthermore greenish-yellow (rather than orange-yellow), and the face pattern was quite distinctive: a dark transocular bordered above by a broad, pale supercilium. The bird's habit of bobbing its body recalled that of the one prior WOSA we had seen, in Jamestown, RI, in October 2012. This adult in alternate plumage resembled that bird strongly in structure and face pattern, but differed in its coarsely patterned, blotchy gray and white dorsal plumage. During several short flights, we heard the bird's distinctive call ("chip-chip-chip") and saw its barred tail and contrasting white rump. The discovery and identification of this mega rarity was a team effort. I was seawatching at Robert Moses SP when Patricia called me to report an unfamiliar shorebird. Her puzzlement was my cue to race over to join her, along with my seawatching companions Brent Bomkamp and Taylor Sturm. We pulled up, predictably, just after the birds had flushed. While I spoke with Pat and reviewed some distant photos, Brent and Taylor set out to relocate the flock. As I came to the conclusion that it was likely a very rare Wood Sandpiper, they re-found the bird. We re-joined them and exhilaration ensued!

Technical information

Model

Canon PowerShot S90

ISO

80

Focal length

6 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/4.0

Shutter speed

1/125 sec

Dimensions

1182 pixels x 788 pixels

Original file size

239.1 KB