Thursday, August 1, 2019 mystery shorebird: solved!

Seward, Alaska

During the August 1, 2019 COASST beach survey, I discovered a small mystery bird floating at the edge of the tide. I have no idea what species it is, but it looks like a juvenile. The eyes were still bright, so it was fairly fresh. 

It has 1 short toe behind and 3 long toes in front which key out to Shorebird, with yellowish legs, eye stripe, straight bill, and inner white wing stripe. What is odd is two, much longer tail feathers trailing out.

The bill is 15.8 mm long, the wing chord is 5.8 cm, and tarsus 25.1 mm.

I appreciate any help with identification.

For more information on COASST, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, go to https://coasst.org

Thank you and

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

September 1 update: 

Many thanks to all who responded so quickly: Aaron Lange, Dave Sonneborn, Carla Corin, Martin Renner, and Jim Stevenson. Juveniles are notoriously difficult regardless of species, including humans (thanks, Jim!). 

Questions arose as to how quickly the bill grows: in proportion to the bird, or like Pinocchio caught in a lie. The two long tail feathers posed another question.

However, the consensus (drum roll please) was juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPER.

This makes sense as the immediate area is a known nesting site, though I hardly saw any Spotted Sandpipers throughout this summer.

I really appreciate the birding community that is so willing to provide expertise, and this Internet forum that makes it possible. Thank you!

Friday, August 30, 2019 Great Horned Owl!

Seward, Alaska

Around 8 pm, I received a call about a very vocal GREAT HORNED OWL hanging out at the new bike park in Forest Acres.

I rushed over just in time to meet my friends as the first welcome raindrops since June spattered down in the gathering dusk. They kindly guided me to the last place they had seen the owl. 

Yes! On a branch just above a handy yellow marker rope perched the large brown owl. It was staring straight at us, its large yellow eyes illuminated as if by bright lamps. I got off a few photos before it launched and flew off. 

An owl in August! So fun to see!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Saturday, August 3, 2019 Greater Yellowlegs in person

Seward, Alaska

How timely! Today, I happened upon a pair of GREATER YELLOWLEGS madly feeding in a small intertidal stream by Afognak Beach. Initially, they were poised to flee, but decided “What the heck, the fishing is great!” And so, they stayed but kept an eye on me.

Even without a Lesser Yellowlegs for comparison, they looked huge. Their bills are much longer than the length of their heads, and are thicker, with a thicker and grayer base. The bill point is blunt, not needle-like. The streaking is prominent and darker, and the body contours bulged. Their backs are star-spangled with white spots and dots, and the long legs are brilliant yellow-gold. Very impressive shorebirds! It was so opportune to see them after just pondering about the Lesser ID.

I did not observe swipe-feeding. Splashing and dashing about, they ran after small fish and often plunged up to their eyeballs to catch them and gobble them down. I only caught a glimpse, but some looked like baby flatfish, likely flounders. The water was mostly clear, so visibility was excellent. I however, would starve as the tiny fish zipped away, wriggled down into the scant silt, and quickly disappeared when I walked slowly past.

I left them enjoying the chase and success on a beautiful sunny morning at the beach.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, August 2, 2019 Yellowlegs ID correction

Seward, Alaska

Thanks to the keen eye of Jim Stevenson, the problematic YELLOWLEGS identification has been resolved! All the photographed birds are LESSER YELLOWLEGS. 

In all his years of birding, Jim has only ever seen Lessers using the swipe-feeding technique. Also, at least in Texas, flocks of Yellowlegs are virtually always Lessers. Greaters usually feed solitarily, or sometimes with a Willet, etc.

Kevin Karlson weighed in with these excellent tips and observations:

Even if the bill is somewhat long, it is a very even, slender shape with a diagnostic needle-like tip only found on the Lesser Yellowlegs. 

Greater Yellowlegs would have a long bill with a thicker bill base and typically a thicker tip as well. Even very young Greater Yellowlegs juveniles show this thicker base, especially females, which have very thick-based bills with fairly blunt tips.

Lesser Yellowlegs have even body contours with gently rounded curves versus the awkward, belly-heavy structure of Greater Yellowlegs. GRYL also show a bulge in the throat when it is retracted, like an Adam’s apple in men, which Lesser Yellowlegs do not have.

I sure appreciate this correction and am pleased to have more clues to identify these tricky species. Thanks so much to Jim and Kevin for taking time to help!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter