Re: Shorebirds at Hunting Creek, VA
KurtCapt87@aol.com
Mon, 5 Oct 1998 19:54:00 EDT
Chris,
Late in Fall, most Short Dows are gone and Long Dows predominate. Hence,
assuming Shorts Dows is not a good assumption. Examine the Md Yellowbook on
relative abundances to check this out. (Admittedly, I am testing the these
abundance guides for inland migrants on the Potomac.)
All were in gray plummage and hence you look for dark streaking down the
flanks and between the legs. Also, gray streaking about upper breast below
the neck is different between the two, very evenly grayish for the Long and
somewhat abrupt demarcation with the lower breast/belly. Then compare bill
lengths as a secondary, confirmatory fieldmark, long and massive bill at the
base is typical for most Long Dows (though not all). The feather pattern is
also different between the two Dows, but I did not see that fine of detail. I
use the Shorebird book by Hayman, Marchant, and Prater.
The 5 Long Dows I spotted had lots of dark scalloped streaking down the flanks
and around and between the legs to the tip of the tail, the Short did not.
The Short had an uneven gray upper breast and clearly had a shorter bill.
Kurt Gaskill
kurtcapt87@aol.com