Rare Bird Report #: 89-B-07

IDAHO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE
RARE BIRD REPORT FORM

SPECIES:

Red Knot

HOW MANY:

2

REPORTER:

Chuck Trost, 225 N. Lincoln, Pocatello, ID 83204, 208-233-4538

REPORTER EMAIL:

trostchuck@cableone.net

OTHER OBSERVERS:

none

DATE REPORT PREPARED:

10-6-07

DATE SIGHTING OCCURRED:

September 18, 2007

LOCALITY OF OBSERVATION:

Seep out from Willow Bay cafe, American Falls Reservoir edge

HABITAT:

mud flats

CONDITIONS:

Studied for 20 minutes in bright sunlight with the sun behind me from 50 yards, calm, 50 degree F, with a Kowa 80mm zoom scope and Swarovski 8.5X42 binocs.

DID YOU TAKE NOTES?:

Yes, during the observation

DID YOU CONSULT FIELD GUIDE OR OTHER REFERENCES?:

Yes, later the same day

WHAT GUIDE(S) OR REFERENCE(S) DID YOU CONSULT?:

Paulson's Shorebirds of N. Am. and Sibley's Western Field guide

DESCRIPTION:

Two large gray sandpipers with rather short, straight bills were probing in the mud. Their legs were yellowish, but not bright yellow. The wings had darker tips and extended beyone the tail. In flight their wing stripes were quite noticeable, and their rumps were light, but not white. They had a distinct, but faint white eye line. I first noticed them because of their large size, as compared with nearby Prctoral Sandpipers. they seemed almost as large as nearby Killdeer.

BEHAVIOR:

Probing in the muddy seep, and briefly in flight twice.

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BIRD, AND WHAT CLINCHED THE IDENTIFICATION FOR YOU?

Their large size, gray color and straight bills clinched the ID for me. They looked exactly like the basic plumaged picture in Paulson's book.

HOW DID YOU ELIMINATE SIMILAR SPECIES, AND WHAT WERE THEY?

They were too large for all the peeps - almost the size of a Surfbird or a Wandering Tattler. But the bills were longer than a Surfbird's and the ir shape was chunkier than a tattler. Their bills were straighter and shorter and their legs shorter than a Stilt Sandpiper. They didn't seem large enough for Great Knots, and while their rumps were light colored, they were not white enough.

EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SPECIES (AND SIMILAR SPECIES):

I have seen this species four times in Idaho, as well as elsewhere.

GENERAL BIRDING EXPERIENCE:

over 60 years of experience birding.

WERE PHOTO(S), VIDEO, AND/OR AUDIO OBTAINED BY YOU?:

None