[obol] Fw: [birding] coast---pictures Rock Sandpiper/Snow Bunting

[Alan Contreras]

The photos are of a Red Phalarope, not a Red-necked, that is mostly molted
into nonbreeding plumage.  The plain gray back and short bill are
diagnostic.  The fact that it has blackish here and there is no big deal.

-- 
Alan Contreras
EUGENE, OREGON
acontrer at mindspring.com
 


> From: Cheryl Whelchel <dirtgirl16cr125 at MSN.COM>
> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:50:03 -0800
> To: obol <obol at oregonbirdwatch.org>, midvally birding
> <list at midvalleybirding.org>
> Subject: [obol] Fw: [birding] coast---pictures Rock Sandpiper/Snow Bunting
> 
> I posted pictures from this trip at the following link.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/vgswallow16/<http://www.flickr.com/photos/vgswall
> ow16/>
> 
> The group consensus for the Phalarope was Red-necked, which the amount of
> black in plumage seems to support but I still wouldn't mind someone giving me
> a "lesson" on this bird.  The bill just doesn't seem needle like and when the
> picture is enlarged I see some color at the base????? Also the refrences I
> checked show white lines on the scapulars which this bird does not seem to
> show.
> 
> Cheryl Whelchel
> Tangent
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: rich armstrong<mailto:richarmstrong at comcast.net>
> To: corvbird<mailto:list at midvalleybirding.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 4:36 PM
> Subject: [birding] coast
> 
> 
> 1. a group of 5 corvallis birders headed to the coast this morning at 530 am.
> 2. we arrived at boiler bay at 650 and saw 30 foot breakers and churning seas.
> however it was not raining and not windy. it was difficult to see birds with
> the mists and breakers, and especially with only 1 scope, but we tried for
> about 75 minutes.
>     a. 1 dark morph NORTHERN FULMAR seen on the water and flying a little - i
> think all saw this
>     b. 3 RED-NECKED GREBES flying together
>     c. WESTERN GREBES on the water
>     d. winter plumage PIGEON GUILLEMOT on the water
>     e. many BONAPARTE'S GULLS
>     f. many COMMON MURRES
>     g. i saw all 3 loons, but others probably did not (the only 1 scope
> problem)
>     h. flocks of BRANT went by close
>     i. the legendary phil pickering was there. he saw at least 2 close
> kittiwakes that i could not get on to at all.
> 3. depoe bay had scope looks at BLACK TURNSTONE & BLACK OYSTERCATCHER
> 4. new port jetty area
>     a. 1 very cooperative immature SNOW BUNTING seen by all at distance of
> maybe 7 feet
>     b. 2 ROCK SANDPIPERS & about 5 SURFBIRDS & many turnstones on rocks close
> to the gull puddle
>     c. 1 close WHIMBREL taking a fun bath
>     d. 10+ HARLEQUIN DUCKS, some within 20 feet for great pictures
>     e. 2 WHITEWINGED SCOTERS along with hundreds of SURF SCOTERS
>     f. many BROWN PELICANS & a couple HERRMAN'S GULLS
>     g. pelagic & brandt's cormorants side by side on same rock for great scope
> comparison
>     h. RED-NECKED PHALAROPES landed next to gull puddle for great scoping
>     i.  5 RED PHALAROPES on the water close
>     j. walking to the jetty was getting sand-blasted so we barely made it to
> beginning
>     k. a couple brebes we decided were HORNED GREBES
>     l. maybe 10 COMMON LOONS, all in basic plumage
> 5. we had ZERO RAIN from 7 to 1115, and with essentailly no wind it was a fun
> morning
> 6. behind the science center it started to rain a little, but we walked out to
> the little shed, where it began to pour
>     a. 1 MARBLED GODWIT right in front of us
>     b. 4 SANDELINGS with a few dunlin stopped briefly
>     c. excellent comparison of RING-BILLED, MEW, & CALIFORNIA GULLS, and 1
> very dark backed gull we decided was a dark western.
>     d. 1 bald eagle
>     e. a huge raft of surf scoters and bufflehead we could not see well in the
> rain to look for others with them
> 7. since it was now terrential rain looking like it would never stopped we
> drove along the bay and headed home very happy we had over 4 excellent hours.
> we saw a scaup flock that had at least 2 lessers and many greaters, a couple
> more white-winged scoters quite a ways inland, and a couple more horned
> grebes.
> 8. considering the forcast, and considering we had only 1 scope, it was a very
> good day.
> 9. reminder - next saturday is the normal 1/2 day corvallis audubon trip to
> somewhere around corvallis to be determined.
> Rich Armstrong
> 541-753-1978
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