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I have been debating since the sighting if an observation by one observer w=
ithout photographs, documented only by field notes, of a bird seen once and=
not re-found, was worth publicizing. Recent events made me decide to prese=
nt what I have.
In short, I found a juvenile Pacific Golden-Plover with American Golden-Plo=
vers in Pond Cove, Brier Island, on the afternoon high tide of September 5.=
Here are extracts from my field notes, with clarifications in brackets.
"About 1500, spotted a very pale and buffy juvenile Golden-Plover with two =
molting adult American Golden-Plovers on the spit between the large and sm=
all Pond Coves [range was 50-75 m and I scoped it for nearly an hour]. I wa=
s struck initially by its warm buff coloration and the lack of contrast on =
its buffy-yellow face and breast [bill-on, there was a very conspicuous whi=
tish area around the base of the bill]. Checked that it was not a Buff-brea=
st! It was capped, but not markedly so, with fine yellowish streaks in a da=
rker
matrix, brown and not gray. The ear-spot was conspicuous and nearly double.=
Breast band was sharply demarcated at the bottom and was made up of light =
brown vertical streaks in a buff background. The back was spotted with many=
widely-distributed yellowish spots in a brown but not particularly dark ma=
trix. The legs appeared long [but the bird never came very close to the two=
Americans for a comparison]. I tried to count exposed primaries beyond ter=
tials and and sometimes came up with three, then four - so uncertain of thi=
s [the exposed primaries were of slightly different length on the two sides=
, perhaps due to uncomplete feather growth]. OVERALL - warm buff coloration=
esp. on sides of head and including cap and breast . Eye striking [appeare=
d large] in pale buff background. Sharply demarcated breast band, pale brow=
n in buff background. Buff-yellow extending to belly and beyond. Total lack=
of distinctly capped appearance and of any gray or dark, contrasty colorat=
ion."
I noted at the time the close resemblance of this bird to the juvenile Paci=
fic Golden-Plovers shown in O'Brien et al.'s Shorebird Guide, pp. 40-41, fi=
gs 1 and 2.
The birds moved out of sight after a while, and all along had been in an in=
accessible location that could not be approached more closely. I did not se=
e any of the group in flight and did not hear any calls. Photos would have =
been possible with a good long lens, but I don't have one. I returned the =
next morning and nearby found two adult and two juvenile American Golden-Pl=
overs but not the bird I wanted. The contrast between the juvenile American=
s and the buffy juvenile of the day before was striking.
Since then, Dennis Garratt reported a juvenile Pacific Golden-Plover, with =
photographs, in Cow Bay, HRM, on September 17. The bird I saw was identical=
to his in all details {except that mine did not fly, and had a slightly mo=
re distinct breast band - otherwise twins). My only previous experience wit=
h this species was in Alaska (adults) and Southern California (a juvenile).=
There are records from this side of the continent from Newfoundland and Ve=
rmont to Delaware, also rumours of sightings from this field season on the =
US East Coast (fide Ian McLaren), but none ever until now in Nova Scotia.
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<p>I have been debating since the sighting if an observation by one observe=
r without photographs, documented only by field notes, of a bird seen once =
and not re-found, was worth publicizing. Recent events made me decide to pr=
esent what I have.
<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>In short, I found a juvenile Pacific Golden-Plover with American Golden-=
Plovers in Pond Cove, Brier Island, on the afternoon high tide of September=
5. Here are extracts from my field notes, with clarifications in brackets.=
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>"About 1500, spotted a very pale and buffy juvenile Golden-Plover w=
ith two molting adult American Golden-Plovers on the spit between the=
large and small Pond Coves [range was 50-75 m and I scoped it for nearly a=
n hour]. I was struck initially by its warm
buff coloration and the lack of contrast on its buffy-yellow face and brea=
st [bill-on, there was a very conspicuous whitish area around the base of t=
he bill]. Checked that it was not a Buff-breast! It was capped, but not mar=
kedly so, with fine yellowish streaks
in a darker</p>
<p>matrix, brown and not gray. The ear-spot was conspicuous and nearly doub=
le. Breast band was sharply demarcated at the bottom and was made up of lig=
ht brown vertical streaks in a buff background. The back was spotted with m=
any widely-distributed yellowish
spots in a brown but not particularly dark matrix. The legs appeared long =
[but the bird never came very close to the two Americans for a comparison].=
I tried to count exposed primaries beyond tertials and and sometimes came =
up with three, then four - so uncertain
of this [the exposed primaries were of slightly different length on the tw=
o sides, perhaps due to uncomplete feather growth]. OVERALL - warm buff col=
oration esp. on sides of head and including cap and breast . Eye striking [=
appeared large] in pale buff background.
Sharply demarcated breast band, pale brown in buff background. Buff-yellow=
extending to belly and beyond. Total lack of distinctly capped appearance =
and of any gray or dark, contrasty coloration."</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>I noted at the time the close resemblance of this bird to the juvenile P=
acific Golden-Plovers shown in O'Brien et al.'s
<i>Shorebird Guide</i>, pp. 40-41, figs 1 and 2. <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>The birds moved out of sight after a while, and all along had been in an=
inaccessible location that could not be approached more closely. I did not=
see any of the group in flight and did not hear any calls. Photos would ha=
ve been possible with a good long
lens, but I don't have one. I returned the next morning and nearby f=
ound two adult and two juvenile American Golden-Plovers but not the bird I =
wanted. The contrast between the juvenile Americans and the buffy juvenile =
of the day before was striking.</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Since then, Dennis Garratt reported a juvenile Pacific Golden-Plover, wi=
th photographs, in Cow Bay, HRM, on September 17. The bird I saw was identi=
cal to his in all details {except that mine did not fly, and had a slightly=
more distinct breast band - otherwise
twins). My only previous experience with this species was in Alaska (adult=
s) and Southern California (a juvenile). There are records from this side o=
f the continent from Newfoundland and Vermont to Delaware, also rumours of =
sightings from this field season
on the US East Coast (fide Ian McLaren), but none ever until now in Nova S=
cotia.<br>
</p>
</div>
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</html>
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Index of Subjects