Who Am I?

[Arthur Morris]

Can you identify this bird as to species? Can you age it, that is, can you identify the plumage that it is in?

Car as blind with the 600 mm f/4L IS lens, the 1.4X II TC, and the EOS-40D on the BLUBB. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1/3 stop: 1/250 sec. at f/6.3. Central sensor AI Servo AF on the bird's upper breast. Note that with the darker BKGR than in my previous post of the fading adult Western, this image needed much less plus compensation...

All comments welcome. Do not be shy. :)

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I find it very easy to get shorebird IDs wrong. :) The yellow legs make it look like a least sandpiper. I find the plumage a bit puzzling, maybe a juvenile first year?

[Blake Shadle]

Hi Artie, I believe that's a Pectoral Sandpiper. I'm not sure of the age.

[Eleanor Kee Wellman]

I vote for Least Sandpiper. Small rounded head. Feeding with yellow legs quite bent. Fine, pointed beak.

[Stephen Stephen]

I'm tempted to go for a Moulting Adult Least Sandpiper but I'm not quite sure. There is a little Scalloping (reddish colouration) on the back but I can't see if the bill tip is curving down.

[Glenda Simmons]

I'm no whiz on shorebirds, but I would go with Least Sandpiper in Winter Plumage. Nice exposure with the whites and dark of bird. Good eye contact. Having his tail feathers and rear leg in better focus would be a bonus, but my eye is more drawn to his great coloring.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

It certainly looks like a Least Sandpiper breeding to me.

[Sudhir Shivaram]

Hi Artie,

Sorry, not familiar with birds of US. But must be some kind of a sandpiper or a stint.I believe the light was extreme low for you to use ISO 800 and yet getting shutter speed of just 1/250 @ f6.3, which has resulted in a shallow DOF. The right leg and the tail part is a bit out of focus. The timing of shutter release is nice, with some catch in its beak. As always, the exposure is on the dot.

Rgds,
Sudhir

[Daniel Cadieux]

Artie, what planet did you photograph this on? The surroundings are out of this world and quite alien looking!! (I say this in a very good way...)

This has got to be a Least Sandpiper. Adult molting into its non-breeding plumage?

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

My vote goes to the least sandpiper and my guess and it is a guess is that it is a juvenile. Great capture with a lovely pose and detail Artie.

[Steve Canuel]

How about the first documented picture of a juvenile yellow-legged western sandpiper (newly discovered species)? I like the texture and color of the dried moss/algae covering on the sand (although the one dark spot above and to the right of the head keeps drawing my eye)
Steve

[WIlliam Maroldo]

It's a Least Sandpiper. regards~Bill

[Philip Lombard]

Wow, is there a book that can help, my book it could be one of three.

[Arthur Morris]

Wow, is there a book that can help, my book it could be one of three.

Hi Phil, Which three? Answer to the book question to come later.

[Arthur Morris]

I like the texture and color of the dried moss/algae covering on the sand (although the one dark spot above and to the right of the head keeps drawing my eye) Steve

Hi Steve, That dark spot bugged me too. I tried a few ways of getting rid of it but none of them looked good so I left it...

[Arthur Morris]

It's a Least Sandpiper. regards~Bill

Ah, Bill, you seem so sure that it is a least... In any case, what is the plumage?

[Eleanor Kee Wellman]

I am going to say Least with worn breeding plumage. Glad you posted this, Artie, as I am trying to learn them for a trip next week.

There is a good article in the latest ABA "Birding" magazine which, is supposed to be on line as well.

[Arthur Morris]

Wow, most folks are sure that this is a least...

[David Smith]

Artie:

Based on the picture on page 30 of your "Beautiful Beachcombers", I would say that it is a juvenile Least Sandpiper in fall plumage..

Dave

[Doug Brown]

Not a clue, but I like it! :D

[john crookes]

How about a first summer stilt sandpiper

[Arthur Morris]

I am moving this thread to the Avian ID, Behavior, and Nomenclature Forum so that more can join in the fun. The correct answer will be posted here tomorrow evening.

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Arthur: . I was actually basing my ID primarily on the color of the legs, and the bill. The bill seems a little smaller and thinner that the pectoral, that could also be a candidate. Of course if I knew the size of the bird it would be easier. Then again I've been wrong before.....regards~Bill

[Arthur Morris]

Artie:Based on the picture on page 30 of your "Beautiful Beachcombers", I would say that it is a juvenile Least Sandpiper in fall plumage... Dave

Dear Dave and Gang, First off thanks for mentioning "Shorebirds; Beautiful Beachcombers S:BB)." I was going to suggest it myself. You have however, oversimplified things a great deal. As with photography, folks actually need to read and study the book. Buying it an looking at the image is not enough :)

A constant theme in S:BB is that juvenile birds have warm, consistently and evenly patterned feathers and that molting adult shorebirds have blotchy splotchy looking patterns. Secondly, S:BB stresses that understanding the timing of shorebird migration can help you to age and identify the birds and the plumages. (There is no such thing as fall plumage...)

I should have mentioned that this bird was photographed on AUG 5. It would be very rare to encounter a juvenile Least Sandpiper on that date in Florida as they are just arriving in the northeast at that time. And then only a very few until AUG 10-15 when groups arrive. That said, this bird does certainly not show warm and evenly patterned upperparts feathers so it cannot be a juvenile. Any young Least Sandpiper would be in fresh or slightly worn juvenile plumage throughout AUG as they do not begint to molt unitl late SEPT at the very earliest.

OK, this bird is not a Pectoral for several reasons. The streaking on the breast would be much more sharply defined. Pectoral are heavier bodied than Leasts. We know that this bird is a molting adult because there are worn breeding feathers (the ones with some color) and plain grey feathers--the new winter feathers coming in. This the splotchy look. Adult Least Sandpipers can afford to start molting in August because they do not have far to go. Many have already reached their wintering grounds when they get to FLA. Pectoral Sandipers winter in Argentina. They have many thousands of miles to go when they pass through FLA. Adult Pectoral Sandpipers cannot--energy-wise, afford to start molting until they reach their wintering grounds on the Pampas. Nobody has ever seen a molting adult Pectoral Sandpiper in North America (nor have they seen one in winter plumage for the same reason. The bird is much too slim to be a Purple Sandpiper and much too short-legged (among other things) to be a Stilt Sandpiper.

Therefore we have a worn, faded, adult Least Sandpiper begining to molt to winter plumage. The yellowsih legs and the fine tipped bill both point to Least Sandpiper and the splotchy feathers of the upperparts indicate a worn molting adult as explaiined above.

Now here is the best part: every single thing that I have written above is clearly explained and illustrated in S:BB. I would be glad to sign a copy for you when I get back home from Quebec on the 21st.

ps: Stephen and Daniel get an A+ for correctly identifying both the bird and the plumage stage (i.e, the age).

[Eleanor Kee Wellman]

Artie,

Please do more of these as I really am trying to learn them!

Thanks for this one as it is the only peep I have learned so far:o