[obol] Photos of the 18 May Semipalmated Sandpiper at Newport
- From: David Irons <llsdirons@xxxxxxx>
- To: OBOL Oregon Birders Online <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 May 2014 06:47:05 +0000
Greetings All,
As posted yesterday, I found a single Semipalmated Sandpiper behind the
Hatfield Marine Science Center at Newport yesterday. Although juveniles are
found annually in Oregon (late July-mid-Sep), northbound spring migrants are
not seen in Oregon every year. The bird that I found yesterday was the first
spring Semipalmated Sandpiper that I've seen in Oregon. It was fun to study
this bird, as it had been about 20 years since the last time that I saw a
Semipalmated Sandpiper in Spring. Most Oregon birders will never encounter this
species within the state during Spring.
What I found most interesting about the bird was its plumage, which overall
looked more like basic (winter) rather than alternate (breeding). By this date,
most after second-year shorebirds (full adults) have completely molted into
alternate plumage and will show no evidence of basic plumage other than
retained flight and tail feathers. Alternate adult Semipalmated Sandpipers have
a fair amount of warm brown to reddish-brown tones in their plumage. This bird
showed almost no brown or warmer reddish-brown tones in its plumage.
Many on this list chased the Red-necked Stint that summered near the mouth of
the New River two years ago. That bird remained in what appeared to be basic
plumage throughout its stay, which caused many who didn't see it (mostly folks
who lived outside of Oregon) to think it was just an odd short-billed Western
Sandpiper. Voice recordings, and point blank photos confirming the absence of
webbing between the toes were what ultimately swayed the naysayers. I believe
that the Semipalmated Sandpiper in this gallery of images (see link below) may
also be in a first-spring/first alternate plumage that is more like basic in
appearance. It has been assumed by some that these first-spring birds never
molt out of basic plumage, but Peter Pyle told me that first-spring shorebirds
usually do undergo a prealternate molt, but the new feathers are basic-like in
appearance. At any rate, it's a good opportunity to study one of those tweener
plumages that you won't find illustrated in most field guides.
http://www.birdfellow.com/photos/gallery/904-presumed-first-spring-sy-semipalmated-sandpiper-newport-oregon-18-may-2014
Dave Irons
Portland OR
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