Species: Short-billed Dowitcher (subspecies not known)

Reporter: (include address, phone, e-mail)

Lisa Hardy

819 W. Park Ave.

Kellogg, ID 83837

208-783-1262

basalt@earthlink.net

Other Observers: Earl & Bev Chapin, Kris Buchler, Sonya Knetter

Date Report Prepared: 10 September 2007

I forgot that this is a review species, and hence the delayed date for making out a report.

Date Sighting Occurred: 1 September 2007

Locality of Observation: Boundary WMA, Boundary County, ID. Seen from the dike road that forms the north boundary of the WMA.

Habitat: mudflat with some grass

Conditions: sunny and hot

Did you take notes…

during the observation? ____________no

after the observation? ______________no

the same day? ____________________no

another day?______________________

not at all? ________________________yes

Did you consult a field guide or other reference work?

during the observation?____________

later the same day? _______________

another day? _____________________

not at all? ________________________yes

What guide(s) or reference(s) did you consult?

Narrative: Earl Chapin first called out this bird while our group was studying several dozen shorebirds. He identified it by overall coloration, I believe. Subsequently, I examined the bird in my scope and immediately focussed on the tertials, and was able to confirm his identification.

Description: A medium sized shorebird with a very long bill foraging on mud with "stitching" motion typical of dowitchers. I was able to observe light brown bars running transversely across the dark tertial feathers.

Behavior: A dowitcher foraging with typical stitching motion. There were no vocalizations heard. The bird was a lone individual, and did not appear to be associating with any of the nearby sandpipers. There were no other dowitchers seen all day.

How and when did you positively identify the bird, and what clinched the identification for you?

The light-colored, sort of an orangish-tan, markings or bars on the interiors of the tertials, identifies this individual as a juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher.

How did you eliminate similar species, and what were they? The only similar species is Long-billed Dowitcher, and the juveniles of LBDO have no or very limited internal light markings on tertial and scapular feathers. There was a nearby Stilt Sandpiper, but it is longer-legged, shorter and more curved-billed, shows only minor rufous tones, and does not exhibit the sustained stitching foraging of the dowitchers.

Experience with this species (and similar species): A small amount of experience - I have had a chance to study dowitchers on perhaps a dozen occasions.

General birding experience: intermediate

Were photo(s), video, and/or audio obtained by you? (If yes, please include or attach) No.