Carl – Helpful, thanks. All peeps are sandpipers, but not all sandpipers are peeps!
Jim Lyons
Boise
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
Excellent video, Louisa! Good resolution, and fun to watch its behavior! I need to get one of those digiscope devices 😉
And thank you Carl, I just processed some of the pictures from my camera, instead of that first picture which was hand-held digiscoped with my phone, Â and I will submit those.
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
I posted a video of the bird in my eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S120892459. It’s located on the left side of the frame. I didn’t want to try to get it better framed as it had been moving around quite a bit and looked like it might be headed right. Here’s a photo showing the size difference between the sandpiper and a long-billed dowitcher.
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
Thanks for the update, Scott, and congratulations on securing what I think is the best photo yet taken of this rarity. Please continue to post updates to this forum. Also, as this is a state “Review Species” (https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/review-species), the Idaho Bird Records Committee would highly-appreciate submissions from anyone and everyone who has observed this bird, and especially those who have obtained photographs (but the more documentation, the merrier). You can submit a rare bird report at the following link: https://ibrc.idahobirds.net/node/add/rare_bird_reports (if you have not, yet).
Finally, a minor (and possibly slightly pedantic) note about terminology. The term “peep” refers to the smallest group of Calidris sandpipers including (only) Least, Western, Semipalmated, Baird’s, White-rumped, and the Old World stints. Larger sandpipers, like Sharp-tailed, and other shorebirds are not peeps, but the definition of that term has become somewhat muddled over the years.
Good Birding,
Carl Lundblad
Corvallis, OR
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
Thank you, Scott, for the picture! The pictures I took on Sunday while Gary and I were there with you did not turn out this good. Glad you were able to find it again and get this photo.
Lynda Ackert
Eagle, ID
Eagle, ID
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
Continues at 10:15 with two Dowitchers.
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
9am: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper landed on the small gravel island about 10 minutes ago and continues to be there alone. A Dowitcher was there previously then flew into reeds along far shore.Â
Re: Possible continuing Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Thornock Rd Ponds near Emmett
Wanting to get a better look than I had a couple days ago, Â I am at the pond this morning and I saw one Mallard and five green wing teal, and they departed a few minutes after I parked. So far not a single peep in sight!Â
Littlerock, Gem shorebird
While checking out Littlerock again last week, I photographed the LBDO in the 2nd pond and noticed a dowitcher type individual with a shorter bill. I was never able to get a good luck at the tail or anything else to distinguish it as a SBDO, but as someone else reported a SBDO there today, I’ve entered it as a shorebird.sp on this checklist https://ebird.org/checklist/S120823184 (the bird in question is at the far right of the group, facing camera) and welcome comments.
Liz Medes
Emmett ID
Re: Black scoter at Lake Lowell
Denise Hughes and I were watching the Black Scoter through scopes when we saw it get up and fly with rapid wing beats toward the west side of lower dam. We drove west along dam looking for it but didn’t refind it before it got too dark.Â
Good luck to others looking for it. Thanks to JC Clancy for finding it and to Linda/Louisa for refinding it.Â
Cheryl Huizinga Â