Posted by Courtenay Peddle (208.25.89.198) on November 23, 2000 at 16:48:33:
Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.
With that in mind, I offer my thoughts on November's shorebird.
First of all, I don't think it's a Pectoral Sandpiper, but a smaller Calidris sp.
It appears to have dark legs and a tumor. There appears to be some speckling on the tumor, but not all the way across the breast. Also I fail to see a bicolored bill.
And despite the lack of anything to size it by, my gut tells me the birds is a small Calidris.
The "braces" bordering the mantle make me think Little Stint. The bill is awfully long, but I'm gonna stick with C. minuta.
Courtenay Peddle