David Gluckman posted:

"On my recent trip to Florida I took some images of Dowitchers in a salt water mangrove area on the lower west coast. Can one of you Dowitcher experts tell me which one it is so that maybe, just maybe, I can actually learn the difference. Thanks. See the it at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37079820 at N07/ "


Non-breeding dowitchers are tough, but I will stick my neck out and vote for Short-billed. Basis for this call is:

Breast is speckled gray, rather than even gray as on Long-billed
Barring on the flanks is darker than the breast color, and distinct against a white background. Long-billed background tends to light gray, and barring less distinct.
White bars on the tail about equal or greater in width than the black bars, in Long-billed black bars should be wider
Dark centers of mantle feathers are thin, giving the upper parts an even appearance. Long-billed tends to larger dark centers on these feathers, giving a blotchy look.

So as my friend Marvin Cooper says "That's my story, and I am sticking with it".
Until, of course, Dennis Paulson posts to explain how it really is a Long-billed.

Jack Stephens
Edmonds, WA
jstephens62 at comcast.net