Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis)
Kehoe Beach, Pt. Reyes, Marin County, California
17 May 1998


Photos © 1998 by Monte M. Taylor. Click here for Mpg format video (418kb) © 1998 by Leslie Lieurance. All rights reserved.
After returning from Crescent City yesterday I learned that another Bristle-thighed Curlew had been found 16 May by Les & Cindy Lieurance and George Griffeth at Kehoe Beach. I had a class at Alviso this morning, 17 May, but elected to pick up my son, Jeff and head out to Point Reyes this afternoon. We arrived about 3:30pm meeting other birders who were leaving after having not seen the bird. It had reportedly been seen early in the morning.

When we reached the beach the bird had just been relocated and we got good although somewhat distant views through scopes. Other observers included Michael Patten, Brad Schram, Rich Stallcup, Mike Parmeter, Alan Wight, Leroy Jensen, Tony Jackson, Josiah Clarke, Florence Bennett, and many other including a group from Stallcup's Point Reyes Field Seminars.

The bird flew up the beach showing off its unmarked bright cinnamon-colored rump. We approached again, but the large crowd combined with various loose dogs conspired against getting very close and I did not see as much detail as I did on the Crescent City bird.

However I did note the much more coarsely marked upperparts with the bright cinnamon-buff scalloping to the wing-coverts and scapulars. The primary projection seemed shorter than on theCrescent City bird with only two visible primaries beyond the tertials. The tertials were fresh, not worn as on the Crescent City bird, and showed clear buff scalloping on the fringes. The head pattern was similar to the Crescent City bird with broad lateral crown stripes on either side of a narrow median line and relatively faint dark eye stripes. However, I felt the median line was somewhat wider on this individual than on the Crescent City bird. The supercilium and face were buffy and quite streaked. The underparts were buffy with broad dark wedges on the side of the breast that did not extend to the flanks.

I thought the bird was slightly smaller than the adjacent Whimbrels, but the only way to pick out the bird from a distance was the obvious coarser (Brad Schram said "checkered") pattern to the upperparts. When I first saw the bird, I was able to see the bright cinnamon-colored tail with a few dark transverse bars. Legs and feet were gray.

This was not as satisfying an experience as the Crescent City bird, but at least I got to see this one fly. This is the second Bristle-thighed Curlew I have ever seen. For a description and photos of the Crescent City bird click here.

Written 17 May 1998

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Joseph Morlan
380 Talbot Avenue #206
Pacifica, CA 94044