[obol] RBA: Long-toed Stint at Nehalem Sewage Ponds
- From: David Bailey <davidcbaileyoregon@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 10:52:15 -0700
Wednesday 23 July 2014
Tillamook County, Oregon
Nehalem Sewage Ponds
NE pond along the North rock-edged shore
In the company of adult Pectoral Sandpipers (three) and in direct
comparison to at least one that was less than a foot away was a
dull-yellow-legged Calidrid in adult plumage with a very obvious pale base
to the bill, a strikingly (given how many Least Sandpipers on which I have
looked for this trait over the years) obvious dark cap that seamlessly met
the upper mandible, pale whitish supercillium widening behind the eye,
obvious white eye-ring, coverts and tertials collectively making a paler
panel of plumage compared to the darker scapulars and mantle, and to top it
all off the bird had that upright and long-necked stance that, of course
Least perform when startled or alert (and frequently enough that it is not
a diagnostic field mark), but this bird kept this stance throughout and
looked pretty odd for doing so, very much more like a Sharp-tailed or
Pectoral Sandpiper than a Least. Perhaps because of this, or other
structural nuances, the stint appeared to be about 2/3 the size of the
adjacent Pectoral Sandpiper--giving the impression of being more the size
of a Western Sandpiper than a Least. The plumage of the bird was overall
worn and not showing much color, though I was viewing it under overcast
skies and through light rain. The birds flew off and all I heard were the
obvious calls of Pectoral Sandpipers and perhaps a call from the peep, but
I heard no sounds typical of Least Sandpiper. I did not see the toes well
enough on the standing bird (due to my viewing angle) or in flight to
assess their relative lengths. The Tarsus did appear long on the standing
bird and probably contributed to the impression that the bird was much
larger than a typical Least Sandpiper.
To be sure, I am not trying to start any sort of Asian stint fever, and
were my observations in sum to come to me as a member of the Oregon Birds
Records Committee, of which I am a former member, I would vote to not
accept this record due to the fact that all these field marks are
supportive and subtle with nothing solid to hang my hat on so to speak. I
made a personal promise to myself long ago to be sure to avoid being
stringy when it comes to identification, especially when it came to small
sandpipers in the genus Calidris, and especially so with Long-toed Stint, I
can say without hesitation that the peep/stint I saw this morning at the
Nehalem Sewage Ponds so stood out given the marks I have listed that I feel
it warrants an RBA on the chance that others can get out there today or
tomorrow to photo-document this potential (and I saw that with emphasis
again, "potential") mega-rarity for our region. At the risk of being
redundant let me restate that Long-toed stint makes for an exceedingly
difficult identification and that the bird of interest I saw today was in
worn adult plumage.
I think it likely that the bird may be hanging around the ponds as the
three PECTORAL SANDPIPERS are staging there assuming that they are the same
adults I noted yesterday and the weather has taken a turn for the worse in
regard to good weather for migrating. In other somewhat be related odd
shorebird migration news three adult RED KNOTS flew a couple circles around
the ponds before heading out to the the NW while I was there with this peep
too.
I Still haven't relocated the Bank Swallow I found there last week.
David
David C. Bailey
Manzanita, Oregon for the summer
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