Outdoor Ontario

Request for Information => Bird ID => Topic started by: Dinusaur on September 09, 2015, 08:58:34 PM

Title: Presqu'ile Bird ID
Post by: Dinusaur on September 09, 2015, 08:58:34 PM

After reading about all these new Shorebird sightings on eBird and posts from Paul and Gary in this forum, I went to Presqu'ile on Tuesday, Sept 8 hoping to find a lifer in a Baird's or a white-rumped or may be a Western. Well, after scouring the beach area for 2 and half hours I am not sure if I've found any of the lifers. Yes there were plenty of shorebirds including a beautiful American Golden Plover and a report from a few of finding a group of 4 Baird's in the neighborhood all I seemed to find was a lot of semi-palmated sandpiper that some thought of as Baird's for a brief moment. However, I found one that I think might be a white-rumped. Hope someone will confirm. I didn't get a picture of him flying; however, when he lifted his wings a bit it does seem to have a nice white rump. The last one was at Owen point foraging for insects in the ground vegetation. Wondering if it is a Palm Warbler or something different. Thanks in advance.  

1&2: White-rumped?
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5836/21096107338_e80be173f7_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/y9c4JA)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5751/21273410622_1aa7ed5363_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ypRMPL)

3. Palm Warbler?
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/668/21096083848_492c8c25e1_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/y9bWKA)

Title: Re: Presqu'ile Bird ID
Post by: lovemypt on September 10, 2015, 04:18:44 PM

yes to Palm Warbler, will leave shorebird to others

Title: Re: Presqu'ile Bird ID
Post by: thouc on September 10, 2015, 05:51:12 PM

I can't exclude Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Title: Re: Presqu'ile Bird ID
Post by: lucky tern on September 11, 2015, 03:59:37 PM

best guess on the sandpiper is semipalmated, a western should have some lighter colour at the base of the beak and show some streaking on the flank.

Title: Re: Presqu'ile Bird ID
Post by: Dinusaur on September 11, 2015, 07:55:59 PM

Thanks everyone. What throws me off about the sandpiper is the presence of white above the base of the tail without any central dark line (I am assuming that little dip in the middle is the center of the tail), indicative of a white-rumped. I read that semipalmated has a central dark line to the tip of the tail. I could be wrong.

Title: Re: Presqu'ile Bird ID
Post by: thouc on September 13, 2015, 02:27:56 PM

Quote from: "Dinusaur"

Thanks everyone. What throws me off about the sandpiper is the presence of white above the base of the tail without any central dark line (I am assuming that little dip in the middle is the center of the tail), indicative of a white-rumped. I read that semipalmated has a central dark line to the tip of the tail. I could be wrong.

You might be right, I think the black central line of a Semipalmated would be visible in the first picture.