[nysbirds-l] Red-necked Phalarope, Long-billed Dowitcher, other shorebirds - Tonawanda WMA, Niagara County

[Willie D'Anna and Betsy Potter]

West Ruddy Marsh at Tonawanda WMA continues to be productive.  I walked around 
the entire marsh today (2.9 miles) and had 15 species of shorebirds, missing 
the Spotted Sandpipers and eight American Golden Plovers reported earlier by 
Jim and Allison Healy.  Highlights were one molting adult LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER 
(along the east dike), one juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (along the west dike, 
just south of the Caspian Terns - this is the fourth individual, all singles, 
that has been at this spot this summer), one WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER (along the 
east dike), 23 STILT SANDPIPERS (along the east dike), 10 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS 
(along the west dike, just south of the Caspian Terns), and 22 WILSON'S SNIPE 
(most were near the southwest corner).  I also had an adult WILLOW FLYCATCHER 
feeding a juvenile.

Click this link to see the checklist with photos of the LB Dowitcher and RN 
Phalarope: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/email?subID=S19487177

Good birding!
Willie D'Anna
Wilson, NY
dannapotter <AT> roadrunner.com

Tonawanda WMA--West Ruddy Marsh, Niagara, US-NY Aug 16, 2014 9:45 AM - 1:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
2.9 mile(s)
Comments:     I walked all the way around West Ruddy Marsh and back to my car 
along Rt 77.  Distance measured with Google Maps.
45 species

Canada Goose  25
Wood Duck  10
Mallard  14
Blue-winged Teal  1
Green-winged Teal  40     Much smaller size compared to nearby Mallards.  
Distinguished from BW Teal by darker head with darker eyeline and pale whitish 
or buffy mark at edge of base of tail.  In flight, these ducks did not show a 
pale blue patch on the forewing like BW Teal and on some I could see the green 
speculum bordered by narrow pale bars, similar to a Mallard.  This is an 
estimate composed of counts of 12 and 22 with a few in other spots.
Hooded Merganser  3
Double-crested Cormorant  1
Great Blue Heron  30     estimate.
Great Egret  20     estimate
Green Heron  1
Osprey  7
Bald Eagle  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Common Gallinule  1
Black-bellied Plover  10
Semipalmated Plover  20     estimate
Killdeer  35     estimate
Solitary Sandpiper  7
Greater Yellowlegs  4
Lesser Yellowlegs  50     count and estimate
Stilt Sandpiper  23     counted in one sweep - all were along the east dike.
Least Sandpiper  100     estimate
White-rumped Sandpiper  1     adult
Pectoral Sandpiper  12
Semipalmated Sandpiper  40
Short-billed Dowitcher  2     juveniles
Long-billed Dowitcher  1     adult in heavy body and primary molt.  SB 
Dowitchers do not molt flight feathers on migration in this area.  Slightly 
different shape while feeding than SB Dow's - more round-bodied.  Primary tips 
fell short of tail tip.  Deep red on breast with spotting across the breast and 
on the sides.  Some of the spots on the breast sides appeared vaguely like 
bars.  Extensive dark barring along the rear flanks.  Remainder of underparts 
were whitish.  Upperparts were blackish with dark orangish edging on some 
feathers mixed with new grayer basic feathers.  One flight photo I obtained 
shows that the bird only has three or four of the outermost primaries and the 
rest have been dropped (see the last photo).  <a 
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/107683885@N07/14936066791"; 
title="Long-billed Dowitcher by Willie D'Anna, on Flickr"><img 
src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3865/14936066791_1c87efdfc1.jpg"; 
alt="Long-billed Dowitcher" /></a>  <a 
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/107683885@N07/14916154406"; 
title="Long-billed Dowitcher by Willie D'Anna, on Flickr"><img 
src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3870/14916154406_05e20fb0a2.jpg"; 
alt="Long-billed Dowitcher" /></a>  <a 
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/107683885@N07/14752483690"; 
title="Long-billed Dowitcher by Willie D'Anna, on Flickr"><img 
src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5551/14752483690_bdb00f4ffc.jpg"; 
alt="Long-billed Dowitcher" /></a>  <a 
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/107683885@N07/14938792062"; 
title="Long-billed Dowitcher by Willie D'Anna, on Flickr"><img 
src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/14938792062_d8d492c9d2.jpg"; 
alt="Long-billed Dowitcher" /></a>
Wilson's Snipe  22     19 were at the southwest corner.
Red-necked Phalarope  1     juvenile.  Very thin all-black bill, blackish crown 
that extended narrowly down hind neck, thick black line through eye.  At least 
two buffy streaks on a dark back.  White below.  <a 
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/107683885@N07/14752541058"; 
title="Red-necked Phalarope by Willie D'Anna, on Flickr"><img 
src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5564/14752541058_234df345a0.jpg"; 
alt="Red-necked Phalarope" /></a>
Ring-billed Gull  X
Herring Gull  3     two juveniles and one adult or near-adult.  All were seen 
together flying over.  A fourth gull with them went behind trees before I could 
study it.
Caspian Tern  19
Mourning Dove  1
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  1
Willow Flycatcher  2     Heavy thick "whit" call note.  Very reduced eye-ring.  
Otherwise like an empidonax with two broad whitish wingbars and whitish tertial 
edging.  Adult was observed feeding a juvenile.
American Crow  2
Tree Swallow  60     many of these birds were perched on branches and on the 
ground in the marsh.
Bank Swallow  2
Barn Swallow  20
European Starling  3
Cedar Waxwing  4
Song Sparrow  4
Red-winged Blackbird  2
American Goldfinch  2

View this checklist online at 
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S19487177

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)


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