[wisb] Milwaukee CGI, afternoon 5/24 - Hudsonian godwit, laughing gull, ruddy turnstones
- From: "Jym Mooney & Carol Lee Hopkins" <hopmoon@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Wisbirdn" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 17:27:05 -0500
After being advised that a Hudsonian godwit was being seen at the CGI late
this morning, I got down to the Coast Guard Impoundment as soon as possible,
arriving around 3:30. Noel and Seth Cutright were arriving at the same
time. I easily found the Hudsonian godwit. I studied it carefully,
comparing it to the marbled godwit that I reported earlier today. This was
definitely a different bird. The morning bird (seen at 5:30 a.m.) was light
brown with dark barring overall. The color was consistent from head to
tail, back to belly. This afternoon's godwit had a light gray head, very
noticeably lighter than the rest of the body. The throat and belly were
deep rufous, the back was dark, and the white rump was frequently visible
peeking out from beneath the folded wings. I am told that two birders who
checked the CGI for a godwit around 8:30 did not find any, and that the
Hudsonian was first found later in the morning.
Seth located three ruddy turnstones taking a siesta in the lee of a log on
the northern shore of the CGI. There were also two black-bellied plovers
present.
A laughing gull flew in briefly. It rested in the water near some RB gulls
and Caspian terns. It had a heavy red bill, dark mantle, black hood, white
eye rings, and dark legs. At first it was thought to be a Franklin's gull,
but we noticed that Sibley showed large white spots on the wing tips for
Franklin's, while this bird had black wingtips. It then flew off to the
north, and Seth was able to get a good look at the underwing pattern, and it
was agreed that it was a laughing gull.
Every day birding is a day learning!
Jym Mooney, Milwaukee
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- » [wisb] Milwaukee CGI, afternoon 5/24 - Hudsonian godwit, laughing gull, ruddy turnstones - Jym Mooney & Carol Lee Hopkins
