Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Westport Godwit underwing video
Date: Sep 23 07:05:00 2005
From: Mike Patterson - celata at pacifier.com


Well, it's difficult to say whether the birds in the stills are
even godwits, but I will take your word for it. I took the images
provided and enlarged them. The bright area of the wings looks
to have pixelated into the darker areas (a constant issue with
digital images, especially ones showing object at a distance)
making the white appear more extensive than it probably is.

Please remember that the only thing many of us have to go on is
the observer's descriptions and the photographic evidence. Please
also understand that, right or wrong, the photographic evidence is
usually weighted more strongly than written accounts. The axillaries
appear to be dark, as do the underwing coverts. They are not as
black as one would expect on a Hudsonian, but they are also much
darker than one would expect in a Black-tailed. I know this
isn't what those of you who've worked so hard to get more photos want
to hear and I will certainly be happy to look at better photo that
show I'm mistaken, but these photos do not support the Black-tailed
hypothesis and based on them I'd say this is an Hudsonian Godwit.

> Subject: Westport Godwit underwing video
> From: Larry Schwitters <lpatters AT ix.netcom.com>
> Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 21:42:00 -0700
>
> Tweeters,
>
> For any of you following the saga, here is 20 seconds of video showing
> quite a few Marbled Godwits showing their underwings in the first half.
> The second half shows our targeted unusual Godwit give a nice flap.
> We were unable to make it any larger so it's probably little more than
> interesting. The larger still frames should add some meat to the
> discussion (or lack of).
>
> http://homepage.mac.com/l.schwitters/PhotoAlbum6.html

--
Mike Patterson
Astoria, OR
celata at pacifier.com

And now for something completely different... Salamanders
http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/002899.html