[mou] Shorebird ID help

[Michael Hendrickson]

 Al Shirmacher asked a simple question to see if anyone could help with a shorebird identification based on Nathan's photos.  Lets not get bitchy about it!  Instead lets answer the question and be a little more positive so other young birders like Nathan feel comfortable about asking ID questions on the MOU listserv.
"Since this picture appears to show a bird about the same size and 
with the same bill as the identified Stilt Sandpipers what makes you think 
that it is anything different?"
What makes you think it is a Stilt Sandpiper?  To me based on appearance the mystery shorebird looks like a profile of a Pectoral Sandpiper.  Short neck and a dumpy appearance.  The bill to me does not look long enough to be a dowitcher sp. or a Dunlin.  So I am comfortable calling it a Pectoral Sandpiper..  I based this ID on zooming the photo up on my screen.
"Pictures are needed to support the identification of a given bird.  Since 
you gave no information as to what you observed in the field  or what you 
think the species is then the picture is of no value in determining the 
species. "
Not true.  A quick example: in the ABA "Birding" in the back pages there is a photo quiz with photos just like these and birders can make accurate identification based on these type of photos.  Many of them are not ornithologists (-; 
Also most of my records I turned into to MOURC do not have photos attach to them. Also many of current members & past members of MOURC do not have photos attach to their bird report/documentation reports.  Its just in the past few years with the age of digitial photography why you see more records with digital photos attach to documentation reports but before that many many top birders in Minn. did not have photos clipped to theirr written reports they sent in to MOURC.  A lot of reports were based on written statements and also some drawings.
Mike Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/


      
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