[va-bird] Name The Peeps Results

All,

Twenty-five mostly veteran birders took a crack at my "Name The Peeps" inquiry. Thanx much for chipping in.

The news is mixed. On the plus side, no one voted for Purple Sandpiper, so the money you all spent on your optics and field guides has not been entirely wasted. Not yet anyway.

On the other hand: one veteran birder I know very well voted for "none of the above, either because of the poor quality of the digiscope or because he started drinking way to early today. There wasn't anything wrong with the digiscope.

The early voting was overwhelmingly for Juv Western Sandpiper, which ultimately received 10 votes.

Later in the day, respondents were voting overwhelmingly for Semipalmated Sandpiper. Of the 13 votes ultimately cast for Semipalmated, 11 of these were for Juv Semiplamated. 1 vote for Semipalmated in basic plumage was received, and 1 vote for semipalmated transitioning from breeding to basic plumage was cast.

A veteran birder voting for Juv Western responded this way today: "Considering the crisp feather edging, the upper scapulars darker than the lower, and the bill thicker at the base than the tip, probably D."

A veteran birder voting for Juv Semipalmated responded this way today: "To me, your birds (especially the one in the middle) look just like Sibley's painting of juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper. To me, the bill is too short and stout for most Western Sandpipers. Yes, the shoulders look rusty, but I think they are within range of variation for juvenile Semipal."

Paul Kane
Falls Church, VA

















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