[obol] RBA Marion HUDSONIAN GODWIT, local RBA Whimbrels 6/1/2014
- From: Roy Gerig <roygerig@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 1 Jun 2014 13:31:40 -0700
In a simple twist of fate, I may be one of less than 5 people who can't count
this as a Marion County life bird, as one was found by Steve Dowlan at Ankeny
about 20 years ago with a bunch of Dowitchers, and he and I and Bill Tice got
to see it:
This morning, to look over a newly developed wetland (this has been a wetland,
errr wet fields, for a long time, but with recent improvements) I Stopped on
Duckflat Rd south of Turner in Marion County at 11 AM I saw a flock of mostly
KILLDEER, WILSON'S PHALAROPES, and some Blackbirds that had flown up for no
apparent reason, and one much larger shorebird was with them. It was
immediately clear this was a HUDSONIAN GODWIT, size and shape somewhat like
Greater Yellowlegs but a little larger. in flight the strong white rump/black
tail pattern and Willet-like black and white wing pattern, wings mostly black
underneath, long and narrow, and long bill gave away its identity. Having
previous permission from the landowner to enter, I walked in to where the flock
had landed somewhat out of sight of Duckflat Rd, and soon saw 3 WHIMBREL
(longish decurved bill, striped crown, plain brown - not tawny as in Curlew)
in the company of a slightly smaller shorebird with long barely upturned
bicolor bill. The GODWIT was in adult breeding plumage, although the colors
were somewhat muted, grayish neck, some color below, dark back. They flew
again briefly, and I was again able to see the strong white rump and black
tail, sharply defined, as well as the black/white wing pattern on the slightly
smaller GODWIT and the plain brown color of the WHIMBRELS.
Interesting that this is soon after Tim Johnson and others saw a HUGO at
Baskett Slough NWR to the west in Polk County just more than a week ago.
Roy Gerig, Salem OR
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