So Richard-- why was this peep not just a Least Sandpiper with brighter
yellow legs than usual? This seems by far the most likely possibility to me.
As the National Geo Guide notes, the Least Sandpiper's bill is "slightly
downcurved".



Of course you were joking when you suggested a Western Sandpiper x
yellowlegs hybrid, but even a hybrid between two species of peeps is
extremely unlikely. Hybridization is quite rare among shorebirds in general.



Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

contopus at telus.net







From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Richard
Isherwood
Sent: August-31-12 12:14 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] My unusual peep on Marrowstone Island



I am surprised I had no responses to my earlier posting, which I am
repeating here.

One bird stood out as different. It had bright yellow legs - as bright as a
Greater Yellowlegs - and very white underparts except for a diffuse
grey-brown breastband. It had a white forehead, between the top of its bill
and the front of its streaked brownish crown, and wide white supercilia. It
was perhaps intermediate in size between Western and Least and had a very
slight droop to its black bill. There was little or no bright chestnut on
its back.

I now think it was the offspring of a Western Sandpiper which had an affair
with a Yellowlegs, but I would welcome any other ideas.


Richard Isherwood
Port Townsend WA
Rjisherwood at gmail.com