[obol] Unusual (?) Whimbrel at Yaquina Bay South Jetty

[WALTER NELSON]

OBOL,

 

Yesterday Janet Lamberson spent some time studying a WHIMBREL that has been
seen for at least the past week at Yaquina Bay South Jetty day use area.
She raises questions as to whether the bird could be a Siberian subspecies.
Darrel Faxon comments that the Siberian subspecies has been recorded along
the Oregon coast, so it is a possibility.  I have included Janet's
description and Darrel's comments below.  Directions to the bird's location:
at the south end of Yaquina Bay Bridge, turn W and then turn onto 26th
St/Jetty Way toward the ocean.  From Janet's notes, it seems yesterday the
bird was on the rocks of the finger jetty nearest the bridge.  However, on
12/24 the bird was foraging on the rocks at the shoreward end of the finger
jetty just W of the large gravel pullout by the water (locally known as the
"gull puddle") and a few days later it was seen foraging in the grass at
that same parking area.

 

Janet's description:

>I checked the south jetty at lunchtime and found a Whimbrel frantically
foraging on the rocks on the near end of the first finger jetty.

>Tide was low slack, about 2.5 feet at 12:30.  

 

>The Whimbrel was ID'd based on medium-long strongly decurved pinkish bill,
grey legs, head stripes and mottled pattern to the wings and back.

>The undersides were mostly unmarked, white undertail coverts, barred tail
as seen from below.

 

>This Whimbrel looks intriguingly like a Siberian subspecies or even a
Bristle-thighed Curlew, based on the relatively short, thick strongly
decurved bill, but Oregon 

>records of Bristle-thighed are almost all from May (one is from Boiler Bay
in Sept(!)).  It could be a Siberian, but most likely a juvenile regular
American.

>I didn't get a good look at the rump or underwings - maybe will try again
on the way home.  Foraging on the rocks is unusual, I usually see them in
groups of several >birds foraging on the mudflat inside the bay, but I guess
they can be found on the outer rocky coast as well, according to BOGR.

 

And Darrel's comments:

>Rebecca,

>    The Siberian form of Whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus variegatus is not
uprecedented here.  I saw a very clearly marked bird of this form on the
southern side of Idaho >Flats one spring.  Unfortunately I have neither
details of plumage nor record of the date, since it was "only a subspecies".


>I know there is also a record, I believe from the fall, on one of the
Clatsop County beaches.  That record was published in Oregon Birds, with
photos.  So it most >certainly could happen.  Might, in fact, be more
expected than a Whimbrel at Yaquina Bay any more, at least this time of
year.  Variegatus is very gray, and quite >distinct from hudsonicus, so I
would think any careful observer could tell the difference.

>The photographed bird from Clatsop had a considerably white rump, and may
have been considered to be the nominate race phaeopus.

______________________

Rebecca Cheek
14399 S. Coast Hwy
South Beach, OR 97366
541-867-4699
nelsoncheek AT charter.net 

 

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