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Re: Curlew Sandpiper(s) at the beach



Mike,

Does the term "Curlew" refer to the bill shape or to the
characterisitic call? Wonderful note, by the way. I've never seen a Curlew
Sandpiper in SC and I have a list of 331 SC birds, so I consider it to be a
rarity for sure.
Thanks to all for the reports and analysis.

Steve Compton
<scompton@sc.rr.com>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michal Skakuj" <mskakuj@nc.rr.com>
To: "CarolinaBirds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2003 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: Curlew Sandpiper(s) at the beach


> Very good points Nathan.
> I would add just to clarify situation:
> to ID any shorebirds the plumage (including moulting stage) should be
> describe first. If there are doubts about plumage (basic, moulting to
> 1st winter or moulting to adult winter) it is almost impossible to make
> a positive ID for most of the shorebirds.
> Indeed feeding Curlew Sand. has more "giraffe" silhouette or, which is
> much better for me in US, reminds feeding Stilt Sandp.
> As far as juvenile coloration, it varies a lot and some birds (mostly
> males) are darker than others (bigger females) in addition the
> characteristic scaly pattern could be very much faded in the late Fall,
> thus birds may look more evenly grayish colored (but still not so light
> and "cold" gray as adults in winter plumage).
> The is one more in the given description which does not fit well for
> Curlew (in my opinion), this kind of mottling on sides of the breast.
> That is just like Dunlin.
> As far as bill shape, in many small billed (males) in. it looks very
> pointed and surprisingly slightly curved, whereas in long-billed females
> is just like in the species name. However it is rather curved in the 2/3
> distal part not in the middle (but it depend on observer).
> There is one more feature on which nobody pay attention, however you can
> see it on many illustrations. The Curlew is a very long distance migrant
> and has very long wings with primaries usually extended well beyond the
> tail (and rathere short tertials), comparing to "short-winged" Dunlin.
> Even Sibley painted it that way but the best illustrations could be
> found in Birds of Europe by Mullarney et al..
>
> Mike
>
>
> Nathan Dias wrote:
>
> >When I first saw Sharon's post, I thought a new
> >diked-in dredge spoil disposal impoundment had been
> >built at Huntington Beach.  Had I known that we would
> >be looking for Curlew Sandpiper on a shoreline of
> >beach sand and shells piled up a few hundred yards
> >from the open ocean, I wouldn't have made the trip.  I
> >could see maybe a storm-blown refugee or super-tired
> >migrant briefly falling onto a sandbar beside the
> >beach, but the concept of repeated visits by one/two
> >Curlew Sandpiper(s) to the area at the base of the
> >Huntington Beach Jetty seems fantastic.
> >
> >The famous bird at the Yawkey center in 1992 was where
> >one would expect a Curlew Sandpiper in SC - in a
> >semi-drained freshwater waterfowl impoundment.
> >
> >Regarding the description:
> >
> >The prominent white supercilium should have been
> >clearly visible, no ifs ands or buts.
> >
> >"...decurved bill especially about mid length when it
> >appeared to have a sharper bend (at times looking as
> >if it were kinked)"
> >
> >The literature descibes Curlew Sandpipers as having
> >"more evenly decurved" bills than Dunlin (Hayman,
> >Marchant & Prater p. 380 and 381).
> >
> >Question: are you saying it was a juvenile bird or an
> >adult?  Adults are way into nonbreeding plumage now
> >and Juveniles retain their plumage though November.
> >So there shouldn't be any crossover issues of Juvenile
> >going into adult plumage or molting adults.
> >
> >Juvenile Curlew Sandpipers don't have "gray back and
> >scapulars" - that sounds like a nonbreeding adult.
> >Juveniles have dark brownish mantle, scapulars and
> >tertials (see H.M.P. p. 382) and the dark brown/red
> >cap is very visible and contrasts heavily with the
> >whitish supercilium.
> >
> >But "whitish underparts showing a mellow cinammon
> >cast" sounds like the buff wash on the breast of a
> >juvenile, not the distinctive rufous neck, breast and
> >belly of an adult, which would be long gone by now.
> >White throat implies juvenile, though the buff wash on
> >the breast often colors the foreneck of a juvenile.
> >
> >In flight, did you see if the tips of the toes
> >extending past the tip of the tail?
> >
> >How long and how well did y'all see the bird?
> >
> >If I were on the SCBRC, given the location/habitat
> >type, date and the contradictory details given,  I
> >would want to examine a photo to accept this one.
> >
> >Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC
> >
> >--- Jack <ppaw@sccoast.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Hi Carolinabirders,
> >>First an apology for not reporting more promptly.  I
> >>had just returned
> >>from NJ late Wednesday visiting family and taking my
> >>wife to medical
> >>labs .  In that interval I unsubscribed to the list
> >>and did not
> >>resubscribe until yesterday.  Bob Maxwell and I
> >>found a Curlew
> >>Sandpiper.  Friday evening, I called Sharon Turner
> >>to post it and
> >>presume that she did so (I was still unsubscribed at
> >>the time) I saw
> >>that Robin Carter and Caroline Eastman found not one
> >>but two there
> >>yesterday, the 4th. I will write up the bird for the
> >>SCBRC this week
> >>from my notes. I will try to refind the bird Monday,
> >>and try to video
> >>it.
> >>59 species from the carriage path, mullet pond,
> >>causeway marsh, ocean
> >>beach and second pond and tidal mudflat just south
> >>of the renourished
> >>area at the base of the jetty.
> >>This latter area is where the Curlew Sandpiper was
> >>found.
> >>
> >>Brown Pelican-20
> >>Double-Crested Cormorant-20
> >>Great Blue Heron-4
> >>Great Egret-5
> >>Snowy Egret-7
> >>Tricolored Heron-4
> >>REDDISH EGRET-1 in the second pond at the jetty area
> >>Black-crowned Night-Heron-3 two adults + one
> >>immature hanging in the
> >>trees at the northwest corner of Mullet Pond
> >>White Ibis-20
> >>Wood Stork-25
> >>Blue-winged Teal-8
> >>Red-breasted Merganser-1
> >>Turkey Vulture-1
> >>Osprey-5
> >>Am. Kestrel-1
> >>Clapper Rail-2 heard only
> >>Black-bellied Plover-5
> >>Semipalmated Plover-15
> >>Piping Plover-1 silver band just above right foot
> >>Greater Yellowlegs-3
> >>Lesser Yellowlegs-4
> >>Willet-3
> >>Ruddy Turnstone-5
> >>Red Knot-4
> >>Sanderling-15
> >>Western Sandpiper-10
> >>Dunlin-12 if looking for the Curlew be careful there
> >>were several long
> >>billed Dunlin in the same area
> >>CURLEW SANDPIPER-1 very long strongly decurved bill
> >>especially about mid
> >>length when it appeared to have a sharper bend (at
> >>times looking as if
> >>it were kinked) long blackish legs more upright
> >>stature than Dunlin,
> >>white throat and chin whitish underparts showing a
> >>mellow cinammon cast,
> >>mottled gray brown area near the shoulder, gray back
> >>and scapulars many
> >>with white tipped edges, Bob Maxwell saw the white
> >>rump when it flew.
> >>The one non conforming feature of this individual
> >>was that the face was
> >>quite plain with no white supercilium.
> >>Short-billed Dowitcher-3
> >>Belted Kingfisher-2
> >>Red-bellied Woodpecker-1
> >>Downy Woodpecker-2
> >>Tree Swallow-abundant
> >>Blue Jay-8
> >>Crow sp-3
> >>Carolina Chickadee-3
> >>Tufted Titmouse-1 heard only
> >>Carolina Wren-3 heard only
> >>Veery-1
> >>Gray Catbird-2
> >>N. Mockingbird-3
> >>Brown Thrasher-1 heard only
> >>N. Parula-1
> >>Am. Redstart-3
> >>Hooded Warbler-1 male
> >>N. Cardinal-3
> >>Savannah Sparrow-5
> >>Boat-tailed Grackle-3
> >>House Finch-2
> >>
> >>Jack Peachey
> >>Conway, SC
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
> --
> ************************************************
> Michal Skakuj  Ph.D.
> 2420 Perkins Rd.
> Durham, NC 27705
> phone:        919 402 9961
> mobile phone: 919 599 3040
>
>