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Thread-Topic: [SBB] Sex of Ruff at CCFS waterbird pond
From: "miguel demeulemeester" <[[email protected]]>
To: <[[email protected]]>
Subject: Re: [SBB] Sex of Ruff at CCFS waterbird pond
Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 05:10:23 -0700
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I agree, but you seem to overlook the fact that a bird is measured (like
in all fieldguides, from skins), from tip of the bill to tip of the
tail. And, since a Dowitcher has a bill twice or more the lenght of any
Ruff or Reeve... that was what I was pointing out.
Anyway, I think you're probably right, afterall, it's been too long
since I've seen them where they are supposed to be, just wanted to point
out that one can't sex them this time of the year on plumage. I hope you
agree on that.

Regards, Miguel


<-----Original Message----->
> 
>From: [[email protected]]
>Sent: 7/31/2002 1:04:02 PM
>To: [[email protected]]
>Subject: Re: [SBB] Sex of Ruff at CCFS waterbird pond
>
>All,
>
>In my opinion the Ruff in the Waterbird Pond was a female. The bird was
>clearly smaller than Dowitchers near it (one has to consider the whole
length 
>of the bird not just the body) and was much smaller than Greater
Yellowlegs 
>(Greater Yellowlegs being on average 30 percent larger than
Dowitchers). 
>Lesser Yellowlegs are on average only 5 percent smaller than Dowitchers
but 
>are much more slightly built (Lesser Yellowlegs were not available in
the 
>pond for direct size comparison but several have been recently seen at
the 
>EEC and I believe that the Ruff in question would be heavier bodied
than a 
>Lesser Yellowlegs but much shorter than in length). My reference books
state 
>that the Reeve can be anywhere from 20 to 25 cm in length and the
Dowitcher 
>23 to 26 cm (male Ruffs are 26 to 30 cm). Since we all seem to agree
that 
>the Ruff was smaller than the Dowitchers near it then the it was surely
a 
>female. (It's important to note that a large Reeve could be larger than
some 
>Dowitchers near it!) Lesser Yellowlegs are 23 to 25 cm and Greater 
>Yellowlegs are 29 to 33 cm in length. 
>
>Take care,
>Bob Reiling, 10 AM, 7/31/02
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All,

This morning Frank Vanslager and I decided to check out the Sunnyvale Water 
Treatment Facility (correctly identified as the Donald M. Somers Water 
Pollution Control Plant).  A preliminary check of the ponds from the hill 
west of the facility showed lots of Tern and Gull activity in Salt Pond A4, 
Phalarope and duck activity in the pond north of the Radar Site (the small 
pond) and very little activity in the large pond west of the Radar Site.  
Inexplicably we decided to check out the larger pond to the west.  Our first 
surprise was a nice variety of shorebirds in a pond on the northern edge of 
the Lockheed-Martin property.  Included in the pond, in addition to the 
"Usual Suspects," were a 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 4-5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 20-30 WILSON'S PHALAROPES and a couple hundred DOWITCHERS 
(all those Identified were LONG-BILLED).  A checkout of the nearly empty Salt 
Pond A3W, to the west, yielded a few FORSTER'S TERNS, at least one each 
CLARK'S and WESTERN GREBE as well as a number of GREATER & SNOWY EGRETS.  The 
most interesting birds (ducks) in the southwest corner of the larger evapor
ation pond were 12 LESSER SCAUP (including two female/juveniles), one 
possible GREATER SCAUP (nice rounded head shape but a distant look) and one 
male NORTHERN PINTAIL.  While checking out the rest of the pond Frank noted 
lots of small birds in the northeastern corner so we decided to continue on 
around the pond.  In the northwestern corner Frank suggested that we walk the 
inside dike so as to be closer (75-100 ft closer) to the birds when we 
reached the far corner (we would normally walk the dike adjacent to Guadalupe 
Slough).  Note: this closer view also resulted in better air, visually, as we 
did not have to look across alternately hot and cool areas and through the 
resultant heat waves.  Near the northeast corner of the pond we able to get 
excellent views of many hundreds of peeps feeding, sleeping, flying away and 
returning to once again fly away etc.  We were fortunate in having the wind 
at our back and essentially all of the birds were facing us.  Almost 
instantly Frank and I both saw a juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER and 
ultimately, following a return from one of their massed flights, we were able 
to find at least three juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers.  There were, of 
course, hundreds of LEAST SANDPIPERS, lots of WESTERN SANDPIPERS and a 
minimum of thirty SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS.  Unidentified, larger birds seen 
earlier had departed before we arrived.  On our way out we noted that there 
were 1000 plus RED-NECKED PHALAROPES in the smaller evaporation pond north of 
the Radar Site.

Take care,
Bob Reiling, 4:00 PM, 8/2/02