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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0016_01CD6CD6.F1E80BD0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Pat McKay and I visited Shorebird Cove Thursday evening, between 5:30 = (mid-tide) and 8:00 (an hour before low tide). No Stilt Sandpipers were present, but there was a strange shorebird that = we could not conclusively identify to species, even though it was = present the full time we were there. =20 In most respects, it matched the field marks of a Pectoral Sandpiper: - size - roughly same body length as Lesser Yellowlegs, but chunkier = body. Roughly 1.5 times body length of Semipalmated Sandpiper. Right = for male Pectoral. - medium-length bill, decurved, black in outer half, dull orange at = base. - medium-length legs, much shorter than Lesser Yellowlegs, right length = for Pectoral. - heavy breast streaking, ending abruptly. - white unmarked belly and undertail coverts. - head showed darker cap, that tapered to a point at the base of the = bill. - upperparts brown, with broad dull grey-brown fringes (like = non-breeding plumage of Pectoral, so perhaps a first-summer bird). No = rufuous fringes, no white mantle lines. - long mantle feathers that occasionally blew up in the wind. - thin dark eye-line. - fairly long primary projection, even with tip of fairly long tail. - in flight, appeared dark brown above, no wing stripe seen ( so no or = inconspiuous wing stripe), dark brown central tail bar. Streaked breast = visible from below, even at a distance. - fed almost exclusively at the muddy edge of the cove, close to the = grass edge. Occasionally stood in water. But it did not look right for a Pectoral in the following respects: - legs were dark orange in colour, not yellowish. - overall colour was a warm light brown - not quite rufuous, not buffy. - very plain unstreaked face, warm light brown in colour, with no white = eyebrow, no white at sides or top of base of bill, no wide eyestripe = between bill and eye. Only white near the face was a small chin patch = at the base of the bill. - very white underwings, that appeared white to the wing tip. We wondered, therefore, whether this might be a hybrid - perhaps between = Pectoral and Buff-breasted, or Pectoral and Ruff. All 3 use lek = displays on their breeding grounds. The bird appeared to be settling in for the night when we left. If = anyone has a chance to try for some good photos at mid-tide, it would be = much appreciated. When we saw it, it stayed tucked into the far left = edge of the pond (left if you stand facing the ocean). Cheers, Susann Myers ------=_NextPart_000_0016_01CD6CD6.F1E80BD0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19258"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Pat McKay and I visited Shorebird Cove = Thursday=20 evening, between 5:30 (mid-tide) and 8:00 (an hour before low=20 tide).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>No Stilt Sandpipers were present, but = there was a=20 strange shorebird that we could not conclusively identify to species, = even=20 though it was present the full time we were there. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>In most respects, it matched the field = marks of a=20 Pectoral Sandpiper:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- size - roughly same body length as = Lesser=20 Yellowlegs, but chunkier body. Roughly 1.5 times body length of=20 Semipalmated Sandpiper. Right for male Pectoral.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- medium-length bill, decurved, black = in outer=20 half, dull orange at base.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- medium-length legs, much shorter than = Lesser=20 Yellowlegs, right length for Pectoral.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- heavy breast = streaking, ending</FONT><FONT=20 size=3D2 face=3DArial> abruptly.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- white unmarked belly and undertail=20 coverts.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- head showed darker cap, that tapered = to a point=20 at the base of the bill.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- upperparts brown, with broad dull = grey-brown=20 fringes (like non-breeding plumage of Pectoral, so perhaps a = first-summer=20 bird). No rufuous fringes, no white mantle lines.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- long mantle feathers that = occasionally blew up in=20 the wind.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- thin dark eye-line.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- fairly long primary projection, even = with tip of=20 fairly long tail.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- in flight, appeared dark brown above, = no wing=20 stripe seen ( so no or inconspiuous wing stripe), dark brown = central tail=20 bar. Streaked breast visible from below, even at a = distance.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- fed almost exclusively at the muddy = edge=20 of the cove, cl</FONT><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>ose to the = grass=20 edge. Occasionally stood in water.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>But it did not look right for a = Pectoral in the=20 following respects:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- legs were dark orange in colour, not=20 yellowish.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- overall colour was a warm light brown = - not quite=20 rufuous, not buffy.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- very plain unstreaked face, warm = light brown in=20 colour, with no white eyebrow, no white at sides or top of base of = bill, no=20 wide eyestripe between bill and eye. Only white near the face was = a small=20 chin patch at the base of the bill.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>- very white underwings, that appeared = white to the=20 wing tip.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>We wondered, therefore, whether this = might be a=20 hybrid - perhaps between Pectoral and Buff-breasted, or Pectoral = and=20 Ruff. All 3 use lek displays on their breeding = grounds.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The bird appeared to be settling in for = the night=20 when we left. If anyone has a chance to try for some good photos = at=20 mid-tide, it would be much appreciated. When we saw it, = it stayed=20 tucked into the far left edge of the pond (left if you stand facing the=20 ocean).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Cheers,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Susann Myers</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0016_01CD6CD6.F1E80BD0--
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