Not to present too provocative of an opinion, but there may be an argument that this bird is a Eurasian Curlew. The second photo shows significant barring in the secondaries extending into the inner primaries. This feature is absent in both “European” and “Eurasian” Whimbrel, which show a clean demarcation between the secondaries and primaries, with the primaries being darker and only slightly barred on the inner webs of the innermost feathers. This is depicted in figures 9 and 10 on p. 110 of O’Brien, Crossley, and Karlson.
However, this feature is obvious in Eurasian Curlew as drawn in Svensson and Grant. A quick Google image search shows the characteristic as well. Perhaps birders with greater palearctic experience could corroborate this conclusion. While O’Brien et al refers to European Whimbrel as a spring vagrant to the east coast and Eurasian Curlew as a fall visitor, records are sporadic enough that no trend is obvious. In addition, on eBird most Eurasian Curlew records from the Massachusetts/New York area appear to be from the late winter-early spring time frame. Depending on one’s perspective, the sole verbal description of the bird as having a “...long curved bill...” could be seen as additional support for Curlew, as compared with the relatively shorter curved bill of Whimbrel. However, lacking further description by the observer including body coloration, structure, underwing pattern, and vocalizations, neither species can be conclusively supported IMO. Brent Bomkamp Eatons Neck On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 1:57 PM Angus Wilson <[email protected]> wrote: > Like Bob Paxton I was initially puzzled by the square shape of the white > wedge, especially in first image (ML94655071) but accept it looks a little > better in the second image (ML94655101). Is it correc to assume the dark > blob is the heavy barring on the upperside of the tail? > > I considered Greater Yellowlegs based on the first image but that ID would > be hard reconcile with seeing a decurved bill (mentioned in Cesar's > original posting) but with the caveat that the bill shape is hard to > discern from the photos accompanying the checklist. That said, I'm not > seeing an obvious foot extension beyond the tail, which does fit with it > being a Whimbrel. Are there any more photos even if not as sharp? > > So-called 'White-rumped Whimbrels' are genuine vagrants to eastern North > America with a handful of April and May records. Tagging such birds as > either 'European' or 'Eurasian/Siberian' is tricky because three subspecies > (N. p. phaeopus, N. p. alboaxillaris and N. p. variegatus) need to be > considered. Steppe Whimbrel (alboaxillaris) is no longer numerous and > pretty unlikely, but the other two are serious contenders, with nominate > 'European' Whimbrel (phaeopus) more likely perhaps in spring and the very > similar 'Siberian' Whimbrel (variegatus) a sensible possibility in the > fall. If I recall correctly, the tail and upper tail coverts of variegatus > are darker than phaeopus. > > Fun stuff! > > Angus Wilson > New York City > > On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 12:37 PM, Jose Ramirez-Garofalo < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> It’s a European Whimbrel >> >> On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 12:09 Robert Paxton <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> The Eurasian Whimbrel doesn't have a white line up the back but a white >>> wedge, broad at the base and narrowing up to a point in the middle back. >>> Bob Paxton >>> >>> On Sun, Apr 15, 2018 at 11:42 PM, Isaac Grant <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> That Whimbrel photo seems to show a Eurasian Whimbrel. Looks like a >>>> white line going up the back in the one photo and barred whitish tail. >>>> Super cool. >>>> >>>> Isaac Grant >>>> Senior Loan Officer >>>> >>>> On Apr 15, 2018, at 3:59 PM, Cesar Castillo <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> I walked out from the Fishermans parking lot at Fort Tilden to Breezy >>>> Point jetty. On the long march back a Whimbrel flew towards me and then >>>> past me. I got some bad photos of it as it flew away, but you can still >>>> see the curved bill and whitish rump of this largish shorebird. Other good >>>> finds included a small flock of White-winged Scoters in the choppy waters >>>> and hundreds of Northern Gannets, Purple Sandpipers and up to 8 Piping >>>> Plovers. Some breeding plumage Common Loons. I thought I saw a seal as I >>>> approached the jetty but it dove down and never popped up again. >>>> >>>> Here is a link to the e-bird report. >>>> >>>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44596163 >>>> >>>> >>>> Afterwards I stopped by Big Egg Marsh and on the way out I found a >>>> Tricolored Heron. It was in the marshy area found between the bridge to >>>> the Rockaways, the parking lot and the baseball fields. Very easy to >>>> photograph from that spot even with my 300mm. >>>> See checklist below. >>>> >>>> https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44599081 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> César >>>> >>>> Una tarde la princesa vio una estrella aparecer; la princesa era >>>> traviesa y la quiso ir a coger. >>>> La quería para hacerla decorar un prendedor, con un verso y una >>>> perla, una pluma y una flor. >>>> Las princesas primorosas se parecen mucho a ti; cortan lirios, >>>> cortan rosas, cortan astros. Son así. >>>> -*A Margarita Debayle (To Margarita Debayle) by Ruben Dario* >>>> -- >>>> *NYSbirds-L List Info:* >>>> Welcome and Basics >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> >>>> Rules and Information >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> >>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >>>> *Archives:* >>>> The Mail Archive >>>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >>>> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >>>> ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> >>>> *Please submit your observations to **eBird* >>>> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* >>>> -- >>>> >>>> -- >>>> *NYSbirds-L List Info:* >>>> Welcome and Basics >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> >>>> Rules and Information >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> >>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >>>> *Archives:* >>>> The Mail Archive >>>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >>>> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >>>> ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> >>>> *Please submit your observations to **eBird* >>>> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* >>>> -- >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> *NYSbirds-L List Info:* >>> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> >>> Rules and Information >>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >>> *Archives:* >>> The Mail Archive >>> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >>> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >>> ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> >>> *Please submit your observations to **eBird* >>> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* >>> -- >>> >> -- >> José Ramírez-Garofalo >> >> Research Assistant >> College of Staten Island >> -- >> *NYSbirds-L List Info:* >> Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> >> Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> *Archives:* >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> >> ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> >> *Please submit your observations to **eBird* >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* >> -- >> > > > > -- > Angus Wilson > New York City & The Springs, NY, USA > http://birdingtotheend.blogspot.com/ > -- > *NYSbirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > <http://www.northeastbirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail Archive > <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> > ABA <http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> > *Please submit your observations to **eBird* > <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>*!* > -- > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
