Blistering Barnacles!
I had heard the bird in question was first thought to be a Pectoral Sandpiper.
Subsequently, I did see Angus’s questions on the ID and thought about asking
for the checklists with photos but alas I procrastinated.
Are the photos available? I would have loved to see what the confusion was
about if only to learn.
--------
"I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of
others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ Frederick
Douglass
風 Swift as the wind
林 Quiet as the forest
火 Conquer like the fire
山 Steady as the mountain
Sun Tzu The Art of War
> (\__/)
> (= '.'=)
> (") _ (")
> Sent from somewhere in the field using my mobile device!
Andrew Baksh
www.birdingdude.blogspot.com
> On Jul 8, 2019, at 10:03 PM, Shaibal Mitra <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> It seems that in this age of hyper-connectivity, false information travels
> more easily than true. Whereas the good-news story of a Baird's Sandpiper at
> Nickerson Beach, Nassau County, Long Island, propagated quickly and
> decisively, the uncomfortable awareness that the bird in question was
> actually a Sanderling is spreading too slowly.
>
> Conflicting descriptions aside, photos in the various checklists show an
> adult Calidris sandpiper with a robust bill, boldly patterned back feathers
> with extensive rufous color in the interior of each feather, warm color on
> the face and bib, and boldly pale-edged coverts and tertials. All of these
> are characteristic of Sanderlings, which furthermore also have long wings
> that extend beyond the tertials when folded.
>
> Note that this is early July and that juveniles of Arctic-breeding shorebirds
> will not reach us for several weeks. Thus, a Baird's Sandpiper at this date
> would be an adult (very rare), not a scaly-backed juvenile.
>
> Lone shorebirds are difficult to identify, and the grassy habitat chosen by
> this individual was admittedly atypical for a Sanderling, so an error is
> understandable. But it has been two days, so I would have thought that the
> gears of the social media mill would have mulled this grist by now.
>
> Distinguishing rare birds requires thorough familiarity with the common
> species. An identification article in the most recent Birding magazine
> emphasizes this point but unfortunately features a photo that confuses two of
> the most common species (yes, one is Sanderling)! I've pointed this out to
> about a dozen active birders, none of whom was aware of the gaffe. Is it only
> good news that goes viral nowadays?
>
> Shai Mitra
> Bay Shore
>
>
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