next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
--_71f96573-b85b-4a9e-96f7-f2b9ea9edbe6_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi all:
=20
I took the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy on a bird outing this morning and =
we ended up with roughly 50 species. Not bad for the small area that we co=
vered.
=20
The best birds were definitely at Conrad's Island at Lower Rose Bay. I'm 1=
00 percent positive that I had a curlew sandpiper there. Now I've never se=
en one=2C but all of the features conform to my conclusion. There was a sh=
ort-billed dowitcher in the water and this bird was not much smaller than t=
he dowitcher. Maybe only by an inch or so. Now most are probably thinking=
that I saw a dunlin. This is what I noted in the field. The bird was ver=
y pale and gray on the body. It had a long down-curved bill. The breast w=
as pale and the side of the bird was white. There was a dark patch above t=
he tail and a little bit of rufous on the wing. Not fully changed from adu=
lt breeding plumage. The bird looked refined and more prim than most shore=
birds I've seen. I saw white above the eye=2C which shows in Sibley's=2C (=
Shorebirds an identification guide calls it a supercilium=2C which distingu=
ishes the bird from a dunlin). The bird stuck out like a sore thumb when I=
came upon it and definitely did not resemble any that I'd seen before. Th=
e dull gray color alone turned me from considering a dunlin. Light gray-or=
darker was around the head and down to the chest making it stand out. It=
made the head look dark in comparison to the grayness of the body. The he=
ad looked thinner also than one would expect to see in a dunlin=2C which is=
signature of a more rounded head. I did get photos=2C but they are long d=
istance and I'm not sure if the experts will be able to confirm from them o=
r not. The one chance that I had to get a close up shot was ruined by the =
entire flock lifting up for some reason just as I was about to snap the pic=
ture=2C maybe due to a greater black-backed gull flying over. There had be=
en a bald eagle in the area earlier.
=20
Other decent birds there were two red knots=2C a few white-rumped sandpiper=
s=2C two pectoral sandpipers=2C and seven bobolinks.
=20
On the way out 40 plus yellow-rumped warblers=2C a yellow warbler=2C a few =
magnolia warblers and a northern parula=2C amongs some other species.
=20
Off Hirtle's Beach=2C a horned grebe and 20 common terns.
=20
The rain came and ended our day sooner than we wanted.
=20
James R. Hirtle
East LaHave
=20
=20
_________________________________________________________________
--_71f96573-b85b-4a9e-96f7-f2b9ea9edbe6_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<html>
<head>
<style>
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px=3B
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
FONT-SIZE: 10pt=3B
FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma
}
</style>
</head>
<body class=3D'hmmessage'>
Hi all:<BR>
 =3B<BR>
I took the Kingsburg Coastal Conservancy on a bird outing this morning and =
we ended up with roughly 50 species. =3B Not bad for the small area tha=
t we covered.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
The best birds were definitely at Conrad's Island at Lower Rose Bay. =
=3B I'm 100 percent positive that I had a curlew sandpiper there. =3B N=
ow I've never seen one=2C but all of the features conform to my conclusion.=
 =3B There was a short-billed dowitcher in the water and this bird was =
not much smaller than the dowitcher. =3B Maybe only by an inch or so.&n=
bsp=3B Now most are probably thinking that I saw a dunlin. =3B This is =
what I noted in the field. =3B The bird was very pale and gray on the b=
ody. =3B It had a long down-curved bill. =3B The breast was pale an=
d the side of the bird was white. =3B There was a dark =3Bpatch abo=
ve the tail =3Band a little =3Bbit of rufous on the wing. =3B N=
ot fully changed from adult breeding plumage. =3B The bird looked refin=
ed and more prim than most shorebirds I've seen. =3B I saw white above =
the eye=2C which shows in Sibley's=2C (Shorebirds an identification guide c=
alls it a supercilium=2C which distinguishes the bird from a dunlin). =
=3B The bird stuck out like a sore thumb when I came upon it and definitely=
did not resemble any that I'd seen before. =3B The dull gray color alo=
ne turned me from considering a dunlin. =3B Light gray-or darker was ar=
ound the head and down to the chest making it stand out. =3B =3B It=
made the head look dark in comparison to the grayness of the body. =3B=
The head looked thinner also than one would expect to see in a dunlin=2C w=
hich is signature of a more rounded head. =3B I did get =3Bphotos=
=2C but they are long distance and I'm not sure if the experts will be able=
to confirm from them or not. =3B The one chance that I had to get a cl=
ose up shot was ruined by the entire flock lifting up for some reason just =
as I was about to snap the picture=2C maybe due to a greater black-backed g=
ull flying over. =3B There had been a bald eagle in the area earlier.<B=
R>
 =3B<BR>
Other decent birds there were two red knots=2C a few white-rumped sandpiper=
s=2C two pectoral sandpipers=2C and seven bobolinks.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
On the way out 40 plus yellow-rumped warblers=2C a yellow warbler=2C a few =
magnolia warblers and a northern parula=2C amongs some other species.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
Off Hirtle's Beach=2C a horned grebe and 20 common terns.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
The rain came and ended our day sooner than we wanted.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
James R. Hirtle<BR>
East LaHave<BR>
 =3B<BR>
 =3B<BR><br /><hr /> </body>
</html>=
--_71f96573-b85b-4a9e-96f7-f2b9ea9edbe6_--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects