From south-bay-birds-bounces+south-bay-birds-archive=[[email protected]] Sun Jul 11 14:45:53 2004 Received: from www.plaidworks.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i6BLhUOQ021210 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:43:30 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mailgate02.slac.stanford.edu (mailgate02.slac.stanford.edu [134.79.18.92]) by plaidworks.com (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id i6BLgGMR021170 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:42:16 -0700 (PDT) Received: from flora05.slac.stanford.edu (flora05.slac.stanford.edu [134.79.16.59]) by mailgate02.slac.stanford.edu (8.12.11/8.12.11) with ESMTP id i6BLgExi009676 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:42:14 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from [[email protected]]) Received: from localhost (eisner@localhost) by flora05.slac.stanford.edu (8.12.10+Sun/8.12.5/Submit-solaris) with ESMTP id i6BLgERw023363 for <[[email protected]]>; Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:42:14 -0700 (PDT) X-Authentication-Warning: flora05.slac.stanford.edu: eisner owned process doing -bs Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2004 14:42:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Al Eisner <[[email protected]]> To: [[email protected]] Message-ID: <[[email protected]]> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Subject: [SBB] Shorebirds X-BeenThere: [[email protected]] X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5b1 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]] Some shorebirding this morning, mostly in the South Bay. The CCFS pond, about 9 AM (with a modest high tide around 10:30, I think) had, in addition to the usual Stilts and Avocets, about 250 WESTERN SANDPIPERs. (This was a peak count, and small numbers were probably moving in and out.) While these showed a variety of sizes, bill sizes, and stage of moult (although most were pretty close to breeding plumage), a careful check didn't turn up anything truly different. There were also about 28 DOWITCHERs, which I think were mainly (or all) LONG-BILLED, and brief visits from a flock of 24 RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs, 3 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERs, and one or more LEAST SANDPIPERs. No Yellowlegs at all. The pond along Spreckels Street had nothing but Avocets and Stilts, so I walked north along the RR tracks from the EEC entrance road. The marsh to the east had well over 200 DOWITCHERs, with SHORT-BILLED identified (but I didn't attempt most of them), a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, several dozen WESTERN SANDPIPERs, and WILSON'S PHALAROPEs. (I saw 35 to 40 Phalaropes, and at least most were this species.) And, as has already been posted (thanks, Bill) a RUFF. I first spotted this bird about 10:50. It disappeared behind some vegetation just after 11:00, and I was unfortunately looking at other things when all the shorebirds flushed (presumably because of a raptor) a few minutes later. I stuck around another 45 minutes, but didn't refind it, although I'm sure pretty much everything settled back down in the marsh or in the Spreckels pond. In fact, I had not spotted any Yellowlegs, but after this incident 10 GREATER YELLOWLEGs (and a possible but unconfirmed Lesser) settled down in the Spreckels pond. The Ruff was noticeably larger than nearby Dowitchers, with longer legs, a small head, and a shortish bill. The upperparts were generally brownish, showing some rufous tints at some angles, and (as often seems to occur with Ruffs) in some feather disarray. The crown and face above the eye seemed gray, while the lower and front face and throat, down to the upper breast, were white or whitish, Starting on the breast and solidifying by the belly was quite a bit of black, extending farther back on the sides than in the center; behind this the underparts were entirely clear white. Most striking were solid rufous - or even chestnut - patches in the "shoulder" area, contiguous with the black on the underparts. I interpreted this, as well as the size, to indicate a male, although I haven't had a chance to check references, so I'll just say "probable male". The legs were yellow to orange (not really bright, but I didn't get a good look); I didn't note bill color, but I suspect it wasn't too striking. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to refine these observations. On the way home I stopped briefly at the Palo Alto estuary -- there was an expected mix of species, including hundreds of WESTERN SANDPIPERs, and also one WHIMBREL (the latter in the yacht basin). Al Eisner _______________________________________________ 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]]