I don't believe it is a Semipalmated. The bill is too narrow and sharp at
the tip in spite of the apparent small 'blob' which could be a small water
drop and in
any event does not make the bill look like Semipalmated to me. I believe
it is simply a Western Sandpiper. They have sharp bills which can be thin
and although they are usually slightly downcurved, they can be straight
also. There are quite a few Westerns in the Macaulay Library which look
like this bird..
https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=wessan&q=Western%20Sandpiper%20-%20Calidris%20mauri
Here is a similar one, 3rd from the last on the page above and also at
https://ebird.org/checklist/S38872454#_ga=2.62949289.728422745.1597387494-1362911534.1596935979
A nice aside, not relative to this ID, is the semipalmations visible in
this photo. This belies the name 'Semipalmated Sandpiper' as Western also
has them.
This was pointed out by David Bailey a few days ago.
Bob OBrien Carver OR.
On Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 1:37 PM Tim Johnson <tim.the.fisherman@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
Hi all,
This morning, Paul Evans and I walked Pintal and Mallard Marshes at Ankeny
NWR. The shorebirds are starting to show up, including Baird’s Sandpipers.
We saw what we initially thought was a Baird’s Sandpiper on Mallard Marsh.
But later, when I looked at a photo, I began to think I may have
photographed a Semipalmated Sandpiper.
The bird’s legs looked black in the field. The bill looked thick with a
possible knob at the end. The feeding posture was well forward. It had a
finely streaked breast with a white belly and sides. The wide, white
eyebrow makes me think it’s a juvenile.
I included the photo in the checklist (link below).
What do you think?
Tim Johnson
Salem, OR
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <ebird-checklist@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, Aug 13, 2020 at 1:19 PM
Subject: eBird Report - Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge-Mallard Marsh,
Jefferson US-OR (44.7838,-123.0874), Aug 13, 2020
To: <tim.the.fisherman@xxxxxxxxx>
Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge-Mallard Marsh, Jefferson US-OR
(44.7838,-123.0874), Marion, Oregon, US
Aug 13, 2020 1:04 PM
Protocol: Incidental
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Juvenile. Legs appeared to be black. The bill looked too thick to be a
Least Sandpiper, with a knob at the tip, like a SPSA can have. Feeding
posture was too far forward for a Least Sandpiper. Finely streaked (dingy?)
breast with white belly and sides. The wide, white eyebrow made it look
like a juvenile. At first I thought it was a Baird’s Sandpiper, but bill
thickness at the tip made me think it was a SPSA.
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S72377788
