From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Fri Sep 26 16:23:31 2003 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h8QNK7ID012625 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:20:07 -0700 (PDT) Received: from avocet.mail.pas.earthlink.net (avocet.mail.pas.earthlink.net [207.217.120.50]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h8QNJ1ZP012577 for <[[email protected]]>; Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:19:02 -0700 (PDT) Received: from user-vcauqhb.dsl.mindspring.com ([216.175.106.43] helo=pavilion.earthlink.net) by avocet.mail.pas.earthlink.net with esmtp (Exim 3.33 #1) id 1A31rV-0006jp-00 for [[email protected]]; Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:18:58 -0700 Message-Id: <[[email protected]]> X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.2.1 Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:31:00 -0700 To: [[email protected]] From: Bill Bousman <[[email protected]]> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Subject: [SBB] New Chicago Marsh (Plover Mania) X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2+ Precedence: list List-Id: South Bay Birding List-Unsubscribe: , List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Sender: south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Errors-To: south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Folks: Today, 9/26/2003, just before noon, I stopped by New Chicago Marsh. A number of birders were coming and going and some of them had seen some of the local rarities that I did not--hopefully they will report later. I walked out the tracks to the first ponds, but could find nothing of interest there beyond two LESSER YELLOWLEGS (three more later further southeast in the marsh). I then walked further out the tracks to where Roland Kenner, Pat Kenny, and Les Chibana were studying the controversial LESSER GOLDEN-PLOVER on its usual pond to the left of the tracks just before the rail junction.. We watched it from the southern edge of the marsh and it was tolerant of us for a while, but when Dean Manley and two others came up the bird became nervous and eventually flew off to the ponds near the main track. Les took a few pictures--I hope the came out. Although I took some more notes, there is really nothing new that I can add to my previous description. I then walked back to look for the juvenile RUFF and found him close to the road in the first major pond on the right as you drive in to the EEC; a lovely bird. Then Dean Manley came back and said that he had found a Pacific Golden-Plover out beyond where the LESSER was. Les and I decided to trot out to take a look at it. Soon, Jack Cole joined us and we all enjoyed good looks at this juvenile golden plover 60 feet away. Unlike the controversial bird, this juvenile had all fresh feathers and each was marked with deep notches of orange-buff or gold. Les got some good shots, and then it then raised its wings and he got a shot of black axillaries! Soon it flew off, a lovely juvenile golden BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER with a bright white rump and black axillaries. This bird is well beyond anything I've ever seen. It's markings seemed perfect for a juvenile Pacific Golden-Plover. The supercilium was buffy and fairly distinct (although not so much as on the LESSER), and there was a prominent auricular spot. The markings made the id so certain that I even thought the bill was small and delicate. I've found no illustrations like this in Sibley, Hayman et al., or Paulson. However, in the text, Paulson does say that some juvenile Black-bellieds can be more golden than juvenile Pacific Golden-Plovers. Wow! As Dean remarked, it's always a good day when you can learn something new. I hope some of Les's pics turn out okay so he can share them with the group. A SAY'S PHOEBE along the tracks was the first I've seen this season. Bill _______________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. south-bay-birds mailing list ([[email protected]]) Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://www.plaidworks.com/mailman/options/south-bay-birds/south-bay-birds-archive%40plaidworks.com This email sent to [[email protected]]