Greetings Tweeters,
Since this been a big discussion in Oregon on OBOL I feel this would be also
interested to read on tweeters.For birders who are not familiar with the
name of Paul Sullivan from what I read on OBOL and from other birders in the
field,Paul is one of many TOP birders in Oregon.I don't name them all but
there are many.Paul is also involved with the OFO fieldtrips in Oregon and
others.A good answer is followed by Mike Patterson I am sure every one knows
Mike since he is also on tweeters.Nice write up by Mike.

Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul T. Sullivan" <ptsulliv at spiritone.com>
To: "Obol" <obol at lists.orst.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 10:26 PM
Subject: [obol] Hanging it up ........dumb question


> OK. I'm hanging up my binoluclars.
>
> I can't tell an adult peep from a juvenile, I just never got into the
aging
> sandpipers thing..... So I can't report Western or Semipalmated
Sandpipers.
> Yes, I know enough to not rely on the bill length. I'd never make that my
> criterion.
>
> Once I picked out a Semipalmated Sandpiper at the coast (SJCR, I think),
but
> Dave Bailey gave a bunch of reasons why it wasn't. I didn't understand.
>
> However, last August on the OFO Birding Weekend trip to Summer Lake, I was
> the one who picked out the two different Semipalmated Sandpipers that the
> group saw. And I had a member of the OBRC, Craig Miller, to confirm my
> sighting. I just look for a peep that is gray, gray, gray, (no rufous)
with
> black legs and a medium-length bill that is thick at the base.
>
> I never asked how old it was....
>
> So here's the dumb question:
> Following the admonitions recently on OBOL, I just got out the books:
> Kaufmann's Focus Guide (photos)
> Peterson's Western Guide
> National Geographic
> Sibley
> Paulson (photos)
> Hayman, Marchant, Prater
>
> I looked at all the pictures of adult and juvenile, Western and
Semipalmated
> Sandpipers. Confusing. Yep, they're different. But why do I need to
know
> whether the bird I'm looking at is an adult or a juvenile??? They all
> change as the summer goes along anyway. Does it make a difference? How?
> Can one confuse an adult Western with a juvenile Semipalmated, or vice
> versa?
>
> I don't get it.
>
> Paul T. Sullivan
>
> P.S. Since I have a simple mind, let me ask those who respond to NOT write
> pages of thick prose. Give me a simple chart:
>
> Western
Semipalmated
> adult juv adult
> juv
>
> Bill _______|________ | ________|__________
> Legs _______|________ | ________|__________
> Crown _______|________ | ________|__________
> Nape
> Breast
> Flanks
> Scapulars
> Etc.
>
> Thanks in advance........
>
> Paul
>
>
>
>