IBRC #2-B-12

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES: Red Know (Red Knot)

HOW MANY: 1

REPORTER: Natalie Turley Idaho Power Company P.O. Box 70 Boise, ID 83707 208-388-29
79 REPORTER EMAIL: nturley@idahopower.com
OTHER OBSERVERS:

DATE REPORT PREPARED: 1/9/2012
DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED: 7/26/2011

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION: At Lamb Weston Settling Ponds near American Falls, ID T8S R30E Sect 9
HABITAT: Shoreline edge of settling pond
CONDITIONS: Several minutes, used 10x42 binoculars, bird within 20 m, about 2PM about 80 degrees, with about 10% cloud cover

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?: Yes, another day after the observation
DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?: Yes, during the observation
WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?: Peterson Field guide to Western Birds

DESCRIPTION: One Plump sandpiper, larger than western sandpipers, some robin-red color on breast, but closer to winter plumage. observed in group with about 30 western sandpipers, 20 red-necked phalaropes, 5 Wilson's phalaropes, and 10 killdeer
BEHAVIOR: Didn't take any notes on behavior

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU? Noticed it was something different. Large, plump size, sandpiper look, and some red on breast were the field marks I used.
HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY? Familiar with peeps, pectoral sandpiper, Baird's sandpiper, solitary sandpiper, black-bellied plover, long-billed dowitcher and phalaropes.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES): Not familiar with red knot. Used bird book to ID.
GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE: Conducted shorebird surveys along Powder River Pool (Snake River near Richland) for 3 late summer seasons. Have conducted shorebird surveys at Lamb-Weston settling ponds 4 years in late summer. I have been birding for 20 years. I am good with shorebirds but not an expert.

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?: None