[va-bird] Leonard's Pond update as of midday, Sept. 1-- both rarities present

[JMIrvine@xxxxxxx]

A number of birders were present this morning at Leonard's Pond in southern 
Rockingham County, and those who remained long enough were able to see both of 
our rare shorebirds.  The Baird's Sandpiper was there from the beginning in 
its favored corner of the pond, as always over the past four days. The 
Golden-Plover finally arrived at about 10:40 and at last disclosed its true 
nature:  it 
is an American, not a Eurasian, Golden-Plover.  After warily scrutinizing the 
people lined up behind their scopes along the road, the bird flew to the back 
side of the pond, bathed, preened, and stretched its wings up. Though the 
axillars themselves were white, the entire remainder of the wing lining was 
grayish or brownish-gray.  Then it flew back to its favored spot, and both in 
flight and in landing the gray was visible again to all observers.  Brenda 
Tekin 
was present and snapping photos and we hope one will show the underwing. 
[My learning from this is that the amount of wing-stripe on the upper surface 
of the wing in American Golden-Plovers can vary in the intensity and extent 
of its whiteness all the way to what my reference books picture the Eurasian 
species as having, or even more.  For example, the book Shorebirds:  An 
Identification Guide by Peter Hayman, John Marchant, and Tony Prater shows the 
American as having almost no wing stripe (see nos. 83 and 81 on plates 32 and 
31)--whereas Brenda's photo of our bird's extended upper wing showed even more 
white 
in the wing stripe than on Plate 31, picture 81f of the Eurasian.]

This Golden-Plover had lost still more of its big black belly blob, as either 
black feathers had dropped out or white ones had grown in to replace them.  
There has been a clear progression in this loss of black belly feathering over 
the last four days.

Nine species of shorebirds were present this morning:

American Golden-Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 1
Killdeer 18
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Solitary Sandpiper 1
Spotted Sandpiper 2
Least Sandpiper 3
Baird's Sandpiper 1
Pectoral Sandpiper 1

The usual waterfowl were present:  105 Canada Geese, 8 Mallards, and 3 
Blue-winged Teal.

Although I searched for yesterday's juvenile Northern Goshawk, I could not 
find it.  In the vicinity, however, I did see 1 American Kestrel, 1 Eastern 
Kingbird, 2 Fish Crows, numerous Tree and Barn Swallows, 2 male Blue Grosbeaks 
and 
4 American Goldfinches.
Both shorebird rarities were still present when I left at 11:45.

John Irvine
Harrisonburg, VA



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[va-bird] Leonard's Pond update as of midday, Sept. 1-- both rarities present