---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 22:48:18 -0700 (PDT)
From: "David C. Bailey" <psu03321 at odin.cc.pdx.edu>
To: Oregon Birders On-line <OBOL at MAIL.ORST.EDU>
tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>

Oregon Birders,
Thanks to Harry Nehls, Mike Patterson, and the several birders who were
there when I got to the spot,
I observed two BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEWS foraging around the mudflats and
pickleweed north of parking lot C at the South Jetty of the Columbia
River, Fort Stevens State Park, Clatsop County Oregon between 12:30 and
14:40. Both birds were seen and heard well.

The curlews looked very much like our typical Whimbrels, except for the
warm buff to cinnamon edges to the scapulars, coverts and notches to
the tertials, the light creamy buff-cinnamon underparts, and the
orangish-chestnut retrices. When in flight, both clearly showed a
buffy-chestnut unbarred rump. One flew close enough that I was able to
see black feather-shaft streaks on some of the rump feathers. The dark
streaking on the underparts extended from the lower face ended fairly
abruptly at the lower breast, recalling Pectoral Sandpiper. Dark
barring was present along the upper sides of the belly and upper flanks,
but this was mostly concealed by the folded wing (coverts). The belly,
vent and undertail coverts were an unmarked warm-creamy buff to cinnamon,
lightest in the area of the vent. Four to five dark bars (counting the
terminal dark bar) were visible on the retrices beyond the folded
primaries. The dark bars were thinner than the chestnut bars between
them by approximately 20%. The basal, ventral half of the lower mandible
of at least one of the curlews was dark pink.

Each bird had dark barring on the head including a dark eyeline and dark
sub-crown stripe, the later which met at hind-crown to converge with a
dark neck stripe onlong the dorsal edge of the neck ending at the back.

Through the scope, I was able to make out the white feather shaft
"bristles" sticking out beyond the flanks. There may have been as many
as a dozen on each thigh. The legs and feet were fairly stout and bluish
gray in color.

The birds were quite apprachable and seemed to
pay no attention to the observers, but the occational dog passing by at
some distance caused the birds to fly for short distances three times
while I viewed them. Each time the birds were in flight, both would
call. The call was a three note "EEE-EUW-WEET" the second note lower
than the first, the third higher. All the notes were slurred together
and the call was reminiscent of that of the Black-bellied Plover, but less
plaintive, and more alarmed, very much the tonal quality of the sound
made by a toy slide-whistle.

The two individuals differed from each other in size, bill lenghth and
thickness/shape, and degree of cinnamon tones. The smaller of the two
had a slightly shorter bill (approximately two head legths from the base
to the tip measured as straight distance) that was clearly much more thin
at the distal half and attenuated to a point. The bill was decurved
fairly abruptly at mid-length. This bird was approximately 10% smaller
than the other and sported much warmer cinnamon tones throughout its
plumage.

The second, larger bird had a bill of fairly uniform thickness that did
not attenuate to a point, but remained blunt. It seemed to be more
uniformely decurved as well. The differences in these two individuals
suggest that they may be male and female.

I took several photos, including some of the birds in flight which may or
may not be to blurry to resolve the unbarred rump.

Thanks to all who made this life bird twitch possible.

--David

--
David Bailey, psu03321 at odin.cc.pdx.edu