ML367007641

観察結果の詳細

We paused our car along the main line road at a small puddle at the north end of T-30-1, where we saw quite a few birds. Using binoculars, Jon Dunn was able to pick out a juvenile Stilt Sandpiper. We all got out scopes and slowly approached the puddle and got to within 30 feet of the bird. Many photos and videos were obtained. This juvenal-plumaged bird was noticeably larger than a Western Sandpiper, and smaller than the nearby Lesser Yellowlegs. It had a relatively long and decurved bill, bulbous at the tip. The breast was caramel-colored with indistinct streaks in the middle and obscure spots on the sides. The legs were relatively long and slightly oranger or than the adjacent yellowlegs. The back feathers were beautifully scalloped with white fringes. The bird spent much of its time hunched over, feeding, with its back feathers lifted. The bird almost constantly fed with a sewing machine motion, always probing with multiple fast jabs, rather than picking as the yellowlegs did. The face had a broad whitish supercilium, extending well behind the eye. The primaries were not especially long, only about the same length as the tail. We probably spent half an hour with this bird before we walked away slowly to leave it in peace.