Hi all, Though I was super-excited seeing what I'm still all but 100% sure
were White-rumped Sandpiper near the old Clark's Marina site on Sunday, I'm
gonna take the high road and delete the record from e-Bird. I believe I'm
very familiar from experience with White-rumped, Baird's and Pectoral in
Spring, then Baird's and Pectoral in fall, but enough of that.
What has mainly changed my mind are the conditions that were present when
viewing. Most of the shorebird group were e to s-e of my position- with sun
still fairly high but definitely bright and to west. However, looking at
the map and remembering exactly where I had them, they were due more south,
slightly southwest than my previous calculations. Although the view through
scope seemed good enough, the stipply effect of light and dark on the brown
stubble from the bright sun kept me from finding the birds in my camera
viewfinder from my position some 80 yards away from the birds. There were
Pectoral very close by. I saw the details that I'd previously posted. Of
all the details that I posted via eBird, leg color was the one that I was
slightly less absolutely sure about- although sure seemed good enough. I
don't know the early arrivals dates offhand but pretty sure it's later in
April/ early May on average. I still have slight lingering doubts that have
been bugging me....... so deleting the record.
Everything else was 100%. (:
Terry
