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Monday, July 27, 2009

Banded Semipalmated Sandpiper!

Today I found a rarity. Not a rare species, but a rare banded individual shorebird, an adult Semipalmated Sandpiper at the Muskegon Wastewater Complex. The bird was hanging out with a large group of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and other than its 2 yellow color bands on its left tibiotarsus and aluminum band on its right tibiotarsus, it did not stand out. Here are the best photos of the bird I could manage, given the late afternoon overcast skies and distance.
I anxiously await hearing of this bird's origin, and will report back once I learn it.

Other highlights from today's visit include the following:

-Melanistic Ruddy Duck (1): 1 with 217 normal Ruddy Ducks birds in the east lagoon viewed from the center dike. Presumably the same bird seen on and off for months now. Photo:
-Pectoral Sandpiper- 1 adult, south central infiltration basin. Photo:
-Semipalmated Sandpiper- 15 adults, mostly in south central infiltration basin
-Least Sandpiper- 15 adults, south central infiltration basin and aerator basins
-Lesser Yellowlegs- 15 adults, south central infiltration basin and aerator basins
-Semipalmated Plover- 3 adults, south central infiltration basin
- juvenile Horned Lark- 2 in westmost aerator. Strange plumage, often mistaken for Sprague's Pipit. Photo:




2 comments:

Larry said...

You really notice details-that's great! I've reported banded birds like geese before but they've ended up being from my area.-I'm going to start doing that again but the idea of banded shorebirds seems more intriguing to me.

kim said...

It would be great if you could report the bird to the (brand new) shorebirds resighting data site:

http://report.bandedbirds.org/

thanks!