Tweets,
I will describe the details that I observed in the brief three minutes of
the sighting.

Species:Red-Necked Stint

Number:1

Location:Game Range, Ocean Shores, WA. Near the base of the sand spit.

Date: 7/26/97

Time:12:30 PM-12:33 PM

Name of Person completing this form:Scott Downes

Description of Size, shape and Plumage: Squat bird, very short and blunt
bill. Size ~6.5 inches. Rufous orange splotching around the lower head and
collar area. Rufous on upper scapulars, yet the primaries and lower
scapulars were quite gray. Dark brown cap, but no rufous. No streaking on
the throat, breast or flanks. Dark leggs.

Decription of Voice: None heard

Desription of behavior: Running fast along sand with its bill down towards
the mud. Very Sanderling like. Was associating with 5 Semipalmated
Plovers.

Habitat: Edge of seaweed pile on exposed mud flats, was feeding near a
small tidal pool that was left as the tide went out.

Distance to the bird: 100-125 feet

Optical equipment used:Kowa TSN-4 scope 20-60x zoom, had the bird on 40x.

Light: Bright hazey overcast. No direct sunlight yet, very bright.

Similarly appearing species which were eliminated: Bill was not right for
a western sandpiper. The behavior was unlike Western or Semipalmated
Sandpiper, very sanderling like. The lack of streaking elimates a
alternated plumaged Western. The rufous appearance of the lower head area
elimates a semipalmated sandpiper. The upper scapulars being rufous
elimates a molting sanderling.

Previous experience with this species: NONE

Previous experience with simarly appearing species: Extensive experience
with all plumages of Western Sandpiper. Some experience with molting
Sanderling and some experience with Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Other observers: None
Field Guides used: Shorebirds by Hayman, Marchant and Prater. Shorebirds
of the Pacific Northwest by Paulson. Western birds by Peterson. These
helped in the elimination of similarly appearing species.

Field Notes were taken: During observation and immediately after
observation.

Scott Downes
903 N 130th #117
Seattle WA 98133
7-26-97

Scott Downes
sdownes at u.washington.edu
Seattle WA