Least Sandpipers

Okay, I actually did get a better photo of the Least Sandpipers, where you can see their greenish yellow legs... or some of them. They still look a lot like rocks to me.

Invisible Shorebirds

Today I learned that not only am I hopeless at identifying shorebirds, I can't see them either. Unless they move. In these rocks at Fort Stevens State Park, near the South Jetty of the Columbia River, were about 30 peeps (small sandpipers). The biologist I was with said they were Least Sandpipers. I'll take her word for it. They looked like rocks to me most of the time. Here is a picture I took. Honest, there are many small birds in this photo.


Give up? I'll enlarge a small portion of the photo. You may see peeps magically appear.



We were actually looking for Snowy Plovers. Those are sand-colored birds about the size of the Least Sandpipers above. See if you can find any on the beach where we were looking.


No? Neither did we. But the others spotted a Sanderling, which is a sand-colored bird slightly larger than a Least Sandpiper with a slightly longer bill. I didn't get a photo. It was too far away and I was supposed to be looking for Snowy Plovers.

I think I should stick with Black Oystercatchers. Although they hang out on black rocks, at least they have long, bright red bills and they're between two and three times as big as these little sand birds.

I fear the only way I'll find a Snowy Plover is if it runs across my foot.

Gyrfalcon!

This extremely lousy photo was taken on St. Pat's Day, 2012, near Finley NWR. My excuse is the bird was a long way away. However, Thomas Meinzen took some very good photos right after I was there with my friends John and Barbara. Here is the link to his pictures:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116543486500187950130/Gyrfalcon?authuser=0&feat=directlink 

The experts say this is a female gray phase Gyrfalcon. At that distance (4 telephone poles), I was doing well to identify it as a raptor. It had, apparently, just feasted on a water bird and was digesting its meal. I did better at photographing the mob of birders that had come from as far away as England (well, someone from England was in Portland at the time so came down to see the Gyr).

Short-eared Owls

A tip from birders Carol Karlen and Paul Sullivan led Johnny and me to Farmer Rd. near Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon to look for the Short-eared Owls they found a few days ago. We arrived about 4:20 and one owl was already out hunting. We saw three during the next hour. My photos are from far away and are blurry but I was thrilled to get any. I'll post a video of an owl in its moth-like flight when I get it loaded to youtube. Although the photo below is very blurry, I like it because you can see the owl's yellow eyes. Same owl from the back (and not quite as blurry) is in the second photo.

Baskett Slough Birds

On my usual feed store run with a side trip through Baskett Slough, I took a few photos. Male Northern Pintails are easy to recognize... from the side... but I had never seen one from the back before... Of course, with the long tail visible it's obvious. But how about those two white stripes on gray lumps in the water in front of the pintail side view? Would I have known they were pintails if I had not seen them before they went under?











And what about female pintails if they have their long necks scrunched down and their gray legs under water? Or are keeping company with Mallards?











I generally identify females by the males they're hanging out with. Would I know this was a female Green-winged Teal if I saw her alone?


There were about 55 swans on the south side of "The Narrows" on Coville road. I'm assuming they are Tundras. Some day, when I have lots of time, I'll get out all my swan id material and review the Tundra vs. Trumpeter distinctions. I do believe the ones with gray necks are young birds.
Obviously, I have a long way to go in identifying waterfowl since even the common ones give me pause. But that's why I love birdwatching. All worries and cares evaporate as I concentrate on the birds in front of me. I leave both relaxed and stimulated... and with a smile on my face.

Red-breasted Sapsucker Peek-a-Boo

Every morning when I come back through the orchard after feeding the horses, a Red-breasted Sapsucker scolds me from "his" apple tree, as though worried I will steal his sap wells. Sometimes he flies to the next apple tree and pecks on a dead top, where it seems I should be able to get a clear view of him. All the while he keeps an eye on me and periodically scolds. When I remember to take my camera along, he seems determined to keep a twig between me and him. Pictured are some of my attempts and his evasions. This has been going on for weeks. I may be anthropomorphizing, but it sure seems deliberate to me.

Golden-Plover?

Okay, the votes are in. My Golden Plover is a Black-bellied and my Western Sandpiper is a Dunlin. The Plover has a "big head and steep forehead". I'll add more reasons for its identity if they're sent to me. How ever do people learn how to identify shorebirds? The only one I'm good at is Black Oystercatcher.

Addendum: Hendrik Herlyn added some very helpful reasons: "...Overall very grayish plumage, no brownish or golden tones at all. Pacific Golden would show a lot of gold, and even American Golden should have some. Your bird has a rather big head and huge eye. Both Golden-Plovers have smaller heads and don't appear so big-eyed. Black-belly is overall chunkier and shorter-legged. In flight, it shows a pale rump and dark axillaries (not visible in your pics). It also has much bolder white wingbars than the two Golden-Plovers, which shows up nicely in your first photo." Thank you, Hendrik!


Original post:

At Whelan Island today we saw what I called a Golden-Plover. I am confused by the apparent white wingstripe and pretty big bill. Do Goldens have wing stripes or is this a Black-bellied? This bird was a long way off so the photos are not good. It was keeping company with a single peep with dark legs which I presumed to be a Western Sandpiper. (Photo at right.) Click on the photos to enlarge.

More Plover photos:






















Addendum: Do I have these right? Semi-palmated Plovers... (Yes, the pros say I finally got something right.)