Steve,
How about a Meadowlark with an Abnormal bill?
Here is an article I found about one collected that
had a "curlew-like" bill about twice as long as
normal!
Guy

elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Auk/v087n01/p0173-p0174.pdf

--- Steve Dahmus <stvdahmus at earthlink.net> wrote:

> My friend and I were birding at Ocean Shores, WA
> today, November 6th
> and saw what is very likely a rare bird but do not
> know what it might
> be. It's description is thus:
>
> It's markings and colorings were in many ways like a
> Western
> Meadowlark but it had a long [approximately 2 1/2 to
> 3 inch], arching
> and downward-curving , slim/slender bill [ say on
> the order of an
> Eskimo Curlew or a Whimbrel beak].
>
> It was a little larger than a Meadowlark and it's
> throat and breast
> were a vivid golden-butter yellow and it had a black
> V shape on it's
> upper breast [just like a Meadowlark]. The V
> thickened at the front.
> It's crown was dark brown or blackish in color with,
> I think, buffy
> edging. It had a white eye-brow and a blackish
> eye-stripe that
> thickened behind the eye and then white beneath the
> eye [cheek].
>
> It's back was scalloped with buffy edging on the
> individual feathers.
> It's tail was on the shorter side, notched and when
> the bird flew it
> showed white outer tail coverts. It's legs were much
> longer than a
> typical passerine, being about 3 inches or so : not
> short like a Rock
> Sandpiper, not long like one of the Yellowlegs but
> more in proportion
> like a Pacific Golden Plover or Eskimo Curlew. The
> leg color was
> either buffy or grayish-buffy. It would stay in one
> place for awhile
> but was "nervous-acting" with lots of flits and
> change of head
> direction.
>
> We observed this bird for 15 to 20 minutes from a
> distance of 30 to
> 40 feet with binoculars about 2:30 PM in bright
> sunshine. We both
> know Meadowlarks very well and thought that's what
> it was at first
> glance but then immediately the long curving beak
> caught our eye.
>
> This bird was observed on the northeast side of the
> Marina [at the
> south end of town near Damon Point] at Ocean Shores
> in the top of a 6
> foot scotchbroom, then flew onto the ground for a
> few minutes and
> then flew back up towards the top of another shrub
> about 10 feet high
> all right by the water. We parked at the Ocean
> Shores Environmental
> Interpretive Center near the Marina and walked along
> the northern
> side of the marina when we spotted the bird. It flew
> towards the
> water and landed in the scotchbroom near the
> openness of Gray's
> Harbor right along the shore. There is a dirt path
> that allows one to
> walk to the water's edge there at the northeast
> corner of the marina
> and we observed the bird there before it flew off to
> the other side
> of the marina. We followed on foot but could not
> relocate the bird
> again.
>
> We have looked through some bird books of other
> countries but have
> yet to ID the bird. If anyone knows what this might
> be or wishes to
> ask us questions you can call me , Steve Dahmus at
> 206-383-2676 or
> email me at stvdahmus at earthlink.net. I prefer to be
> phoned. It would
> be great if others could also find this bird there
> as well to assist
> in it's ID.
>
> Steve Dahmus and Alan Mondryzk
> stvdahmus at earthlink.net
> Seattle, WA USA>
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> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
>
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>


Guy McWethy
Renton, WA
mailto: lguy_mcw at yahoo.com



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