Hi Tweets,

Peggi Rodgers writes:

>How about a Rock Sandpiper. Not it's normal area but the description
>fits.

Peggi, same thing crossed my mind, then kept on going. Some features fit,
such as the crown color and the dark belly-patch, but it's unlikely that a
Rock Sandpiper (ROSA) is going to show this plumage in southbound migration;
normally, like Dunlin, they molt into Basic plumage *before* migrating
south, so the only time you're likely to see this plumage on a ROSA is on a
bird late in the northbound migration or a territorial bird in Alaska or
Siberia.

Second, an Alternate-plumaged ROSA has dark legs; you're not likely to see
the combination of Alternate plumage and greenish-yellow legs outside a
transitional period in Spring anywhere in souther Cascadia. Assuming the
proportions of the drawing to be accurate, as well, the ROSA bill would be
proportionately too long and fine for the mystery bird, and is pale-based at
this time of the year.

Next, ROSA is, according to Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest, one of the
most habitat-specific shorebird species there is: "the epitome of an
ecologically stereotyped species"; earlier, Dennis writes: "...this
sandpiper is even less likely to be seen off rock substrates than the Black
Turnstone or Surfbird, etc." (p 294); definitely not a bird to look for in
typical Ruff or Pectoral Sandpiper feeding habitat.

Nothing's impossible, especially with birds, but there's also the lack of
ROSA inland vagrancy working against this ID, admittedly circumstantially.
The location of the mystery bird is in the central US, a long stretch away
from ROSA habitat.


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