[obol] rockpipers

[Carole Hallett]

I will preface this with, "I am way out of practice with shorebird i.d": on
2/16/08 we saw a mixed group of shorebirds -- surfbirds, black turnstones
and what looked like  around a dozen winter plumaged sanderlings (very pale
plumage, dark legs and bill, white on wings in flight)  all feeding at low
tide on the rocks just North of Yachats,OR. The rocks here are flat-topped
and easy to walk around on.  The turnstones and surfbirds would feed right
up to the edge of the waves while the others would stay further back,
picking inverts off the wet rocks.  The sanderling things seemed to favor
the areas covered with, and adjacent to, low-growing, lush, bright green
algae. It was a strange sight to see beach birds walking around on the rocks
-- a first for me.

Carole Hallett
Portland, OR

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 9:57 AM, Jeff Gilligan <jeffgill at teleport.com> wrote:

> I have never seen Dunlin on the jetty there, but it could happen. For
> example, I saw a Western Sandpiper on it one winter.  If the birds you saw
> were feeding with the Surfbirds it is highly likely that they were Rock
> Sandpipers.  Dunlin could very conceivably roost on the jetty – but they
> wouldn't nimbly feed with the regular rock-lovers.   Jeff Gilligan,
> Portland.
>
>
> On 3/3/08 11:14 AM, "bobolink06 at comcast.net" <bobolink06 at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
> Obolites, On a family trip to Cannon Beach we stopped at Barview Jetty for
> a look at rockpipers, among a large flock of SURFBIRDS, we viewed two
> "rockpipers" with much longer downcurved bills. They were paler and smaller
> than the surfbirds. My initial diagnosis was ROCK SANDPIPER, which provoked
> a high five and a little jetty dance. Upon consulting the field guides I
> concluded the bill was too long and too slender , and the legs were black
> making these birds more like DUNLIN. It seems strange that Dunlin would be
> cavorting with Surfbirds on a jetty. I invite comment re these faux Rock
> Sandpipers, and whether Dunlin commonly hang out on jetties. Bird On, Bob
> Bender ,Eugene
>
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-- 
Carole Hallett
Wildlife Biologist
Pacific Habitat Services
(503) 806-5792 cell
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