Please start sending your posts to texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Late Saturday (06/23/12), between about 5:30 and 7:10 PM we observed the Black-tailed Godwit east of Hwy. 227, in the same pool on Brazoria NWR property where it has been seen since it left its earlier location west of that highway. Early in our visit we had suspicioned that a bird with some of the right attributes visible might be this particular species, but we did not photograph it at that time because it was asleep or resting with its bill under its left wing. By about 6:15 PM it became more active and occasionally looked about and preened itself, disclosing a suitable bill for that species, as well as providing a better look at the markings on its head, especially its bright supraloral mark. I started taking photos at 6:17 PM and continued with some regularity until about 7:07 PM. The bird was about 2/3 of the way back across the pool. During the latter part of that period I was able to get photos of it with its wings raised, exposing not only the characteristic black/white marking at its rear (i.e., white lower rump and uppertail coverts and broad black band on tail) and its white axillaries and underwing coverts. Those, combined with appropriate structural features, including a quite straight bill, clearly showed this to be, not a Hudsonian , but a Black-tailed, Godwit. We enjoyed watching it preen because often, if not every time, it would dip the tip of its bill into the water and then appeared to be preening some feathers. This reminded us of how persons sometimes wet the comb before combing an unruly shock of hair. (We were at a considerable distance from this bird, so we could not observe closely what it was doing with its feathers. It is conceivable that the bill-dipping might, instead, have had something to do with molt or even removal of bodily parasites.) Another observation, noted on site, and amply confirmed by our dozens of photos of this bird is that it seemed strongly disinclined to stand on its right leg. This one-legged stance was true not only when it slept, which often is the case with shorebirds, but when it was active in various ways, such as preening--regardless of the side or location that was preened--and even when it flapped both wings, sometimes extending both almost straight up. None of my dozens of photos shows the right leg/foot to be used forsupport or, even, extended. Indeed, they show it held against or very close to the body with
the toes typically curled up. This gives us some cause for concern about the possibility of this bird having suffered an injury to the right foot or leg and/or infection in such an area. Of course, we hope we are wrong, and ifothers have photos--or had unequivocal observations--taken on Saturday or since
then indicating that this bird is using its right leg, we would be delighted if that would be reported here. We know that some shorebirds will hop about on a single leg even when, as disclosed later, that leg appears to be normal, but we do not recall ever having seen this kind of continued disuse of a leg for such an extended period of time, including while a bird is doing other things than sleeping. We would note, as have others, that this pond is very shallow and apparently has been rapidly drying up, so those wishing to see this bird may need to act soon, at least if they are to find it in this location.Yesterday morning we birded the tour roads of Brazoria NWR. The abundance of wader species and wader numbers at Olney Pond was northing short of spectacular. Shorebirds were starting to impress, too, and we found 13 Marbled Godwits present at that pond, along with multiple other shorebird species. Along highway 227, perhaps a half-mile south of the Black-tailed Godwit site, we had a low-level overflight of a very attractive Swainson's Hawk. We briefly visited the site of the rare godwit around noon yesterday but did not spot it. It might simply have been present but missed. We join the many expressing thanks to Ron Weeks for having found and recognized this exciting visitor.
Some shorebirds already are heading south, and the next two or three weeks often seem associated with a relatively high probability of shorebird rarities. Rarities are not, the shorebirds are coming back, and we all can enjoy their migration for some time to come. Best wishes to all for rewarding late summer and early fall birding, Rex and Birgit Stanford McAllen, TXEdit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds