FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Baird's Sandpipers / Shelby Farms/Memphis

[OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx]

March 13, 2004
Shelby Farms
Shelby Co. TN


Late Friday afternoon, I was passing through the farms when I noticed 3 birds 
winging it across one of the fields. My first thought was Pectoral Sandpipers 
as they are due but when they banked and turned to land I recognized the 
wings and flight of Baird's. This species is an early migrator and passes 
undetected even as early as late February. Another passage occurs much later 
but 
almost every year they appear in small numbers at this time.

I walked out toward the birds and they hunkered down but did not hold too 
long. The distinctive straight culmen on the all dark bill and both wing and 
primary extension was all that was needed to clinch the ID. The birds flushed 
into 
another field and I left them to rest.

Be careful on quick IDs of early Pectorals as they might be Baird's in 
stealth mode. The aspect ratio of the wings give them a very different wing 
cadence 
and flight characteristic very much like Solitary and Buff-breasted which also 
have long narrow wings, making for a good flight ID. The Solitary is gray and 
white in the air and the other brown sandpiper with the same wing ratio is 
the Buffy and it is separated from the others by the distinct carpal bar on the 
underwing.


Good Birding!!!

Jeff R. Wilson
OL'COOT / TLBA
Bartlett, TN


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