Subject: Walla Walla Sharp-tailed sandpiper
Date: Sep 29 20:31:43 2003
From: Joe Corvino - corvinojm at gohighspeed.com


September 29, 2003



Thanks again to super birders Mike and MerryLynn Denny for finding this remarkable bird, for calling to alert us, and especially for their infinite patience in answering the repeated question, "How do we know this is a sharp-tailed sandpiper?"



This bird has been in a flooded field just outside Walla Walla and was first spotted 9-27 by Mike and Merry Lynn. The next day a group of us caught a glimpse of the bird among about 12+ Pectoral sandpipers. This bird only allowed us brief glimpses before disappearing behind tufts of grass. This less-than-complete look was frustrating for the first sighting of a new bird.



Today Carolyn and I returned to the flooded field with binos, scope, and folding chairs. We spent three hours. Initially all we saw were dowitchers, yellowlegs, ring-billed gulls, mallards, and too many blackbirds and starlings. Finally we spotted the Sharp-tailed sandpiper. It allowed us two full hours of viewing. We sat in our chairs with Dennis Paulson's Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest and were able to see every field-mark mentioned-even the "broader and slightly paler rufous tertial fringes." I never thought I would actually say such a thing! The eye-ring was only visible when the bird turned its head to just the right angle, but then it was obvious.



We still were not satisfied, because we wanted to compare this bird to Pectoral sandpipers. Fortunately just as the Sharp-tailed disappeared for good we spotted four Pectoral sandpipers. I suspect that most of the dozen or more Pectorals that were present yesterday left last night. The Pectorals are very easy to identify because of the heavily streaked breast with its sharp lower border. However, this is not always obvious when viewing the bird from the side. The Pectoral also has a rufous cap which would have impressed us if we had not just seen the much more rufous cap of the Sharp-tailed.



Dennis Paulson's book was a joy to have along. I especially appreciated the "minor points.for further confirmation or just the joy of seeing the bird well." Dennis mentioned the opinion of some that the Sharp-tailed sandpiper does not "stand up high with neck extended" like Pectorals. He speculated that, if Sharp-tailed were seen in grass rather than on mudflats, then this posture would be seen. In my extensive series of one sharp-tailed sandpiper, seen in grass, this bird definitely stood with extended neck looking from side to side.



While this bird was very crisply marked and looked healthy, I suspect he is in serious trouble-many miles from his migration route and probably destined to die in the field where he now is.



Joe and Carolyn Corvino

Walla Walla, WA 99362



corvinojm at aya.yale.edu