Hi Tweets,

A first, off-the-cuff impression is a Pectoral Sandpiper PESA (Calidris
melanotos), or a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper SHSA (C. acuminata), or a Ruff RUFF
(Philomachus pugnax--don't ya just love that name? More like the name of the
Heavyweight Champ of the Roman Empire, 65 A.D.). SHSA in juvenile plumage
quickly gets the door as there's no mention of its most salient features:
the white eyering, the conspicuous post-ocular supercilium, the rich reds
and orange-buffs of its juvenile plumage; and you'd never, ever, call its
back "scaled". Any PESA past its juv plumage could definitely wear that tag
in any plumage or molt state. But there's that black belly. Size and
proportion eliminate Dunlin (C. alpina) and such really outta-left-field
possibilities as Purple or Rock Sandpipers (C. maritima, C. ptilocnemis);
besides, they'll not be showing the blackish belly at this time of year, as
they molt out of Alternate plumage before heading south or inland. Wading
through all the other possibilities ends up with either an adult PESA in
worn Alternate, pre-Basic Molt, or Definitive Basic plumage (who the heck
can tell the difference with PESA?) or a pre-Basic Molt RUFF.

Feeding action: shared, so ambiguous.

>Size comparison slightly larger than Pectoral.

Ambiguous. PESA size is all over the lot. Notes don't say whether Pecs were
around for comparison. Besides, an adult RUFF would not just be slightly
larger than a PESA; it would be *significantly* and obviously bigger than
even a large male PESA.

>In flight showed dark central on uppertail coverts with white areas on
sides of uppertail coverts.

Shared, so ambiguous: doesn't describe extent or configuration of white
covert-sides.

>Neck and upper breast mottled and spotty.

Advantage RUFF; PESA would be streaked.

>Primaries dark.

Shared, so ambiguous.

>Back, coverts brown with light edges (scaled).

Shared, so ambiguous.

>Crown reddish brown.
>Supercilium.
>Dark lores.

Advantage PESA: This combination unlikely--not impossible--on RUFF, but
typical of a Calidris-genus shorebird.

>Bill black

Advantage RUFF.

>shortish

Advantage RUFF only if "shortish" is comparative to nearby PESA.
Unfortunately, without a such a qualifier the term is subjective, hence
ambiguous.

>slightly decurved.

Shared, so ambiguous.

>Neck showed some remnants of ruff.

Advantage RUFF if a normal feature of plumage; however, see next entry.

>Lower breast, belly black.

Advantage RUFF if a normal feature of plumage, but what if the blackish area
is dried blood? Any injury sufficiently serious to cause such extensive
bleeding could easily have hurt the bird to the point where the "Bird had a
noticeable limp. Fed slow & deliberate." and disarranged the neck feathers
to show an apparent, though spurious, ruff. Ambiguous.

>Legs greenish yellow.

Advantage PESA.

In sum, I don't think it may be possible to ID this bird on the available
description (if it were a local birder, I'd get on the phone to get more
details such as tertial and scapular pattern, for example, or whether other
species were nearby for direct size comparison). There are details
suggestive or either an adult PESA or a molting adult RUFF, but none are
definitive. To my mind; the description remains ambiguous.

Michael Price The Sleep of Reason Gives Birth to Monsters
Vancouver BC Canada -Goya
mprice at mindlink.net