Greetings. I feel the need to comment on my sighting yesterday, given that
there will doubtless be many who question it.(Thanks to Mike Malone for
posting it for me.)
Given the unlikeliness of finding this species in the Pelee area at this
very late date, birders might well think that I misidentified a long-billed
Semipalmated Sandpiper. Actually, this individual was patently not that
species, which was clear from the outset. Rather, given its VERY long,
slightly drooped bill, I was wondering all along whether the bird was in
fact a basic-plumaged Dunlin. However, as I was able to approach the bird
extremely closely and study it for as long as I wanted, I was able to note
various characters arguing convincingly for Western Sandpiper.
First of all, this bird was possibly 7 inches in length, much too small for
a Dunlin. It was certainly no larger than that, as I settled on watching it
from about 15 feet away. Its posture, feeding style, coloration, all
supported a Western ID. For example, while it was almost completely molted
into basic plumage, it still retained some (not many) bright rufous
scapulars, especially upper ones, and the tertials were edged bright rufous.
The legs were much too long for Semipalmated, and the bird was comfortable
wading in water too deep for a Semipalmated's preferences, I should think.
In any case, I knew I needed a vocalization to clinch the identification. I
was reluctant to stress out the bird by pushing my luck with even closer
approaches, but at one point I was only about 10 feet away, and then it gave
the "cheet/dzheet" note one would expect of a Western as it flew another 20
feet away. I watched the bird from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Still in
disbelief, I headed to Pelee Wings to consult as many field guides and books
as I could in case there was any chance the bird might be a runt Dunlin, if
there is such a thing. I could find nothing to change my opinion.
I returned later to relocate the bird, but it was gone. It was the only
shorebird present when I found it in the baited area beyond the Sanctuary
Pond (?). Take the trail east from the wooden deck that runs from the rock
with the plaque.
Incidentally, if one were to check out Sibley's illustrations on page 187,
this bird showed the long extreme bill. Alternatively, Peterson's depiction
of comparative bill lengths on page 149 of his Western Birds field guide is
even more consistent with what I saw.
Hopefully someone else will find this bird again. A great many shorebirds
are still around, and there was a small flock of peeps feeding opposite the
visitor centre when I left, too far to check out for me.
Randy Horvath, Windsor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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