[Michael W]

Here's a wader for ID.
It was taken at a lake in Idaho.

Good luck!
Michael

[CJW]

Solitary Sandpiper.

[Michael W]

Close...
Keep guessing!

Michael

[Paul Rule]

Ok so there is another bird behind the log, so its a Less Solitary Sandpiper

[Michael W]

Nope, there's not another bird behind the log, and it's not a Solitary Sandpiper.
Keep guessing!

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

I think Solitary Sand too, but if it isn't, then I'll go for Spotted Sand. But with very little conviction - only Solitary has that prominent a white eye-ring

Michael

[dennis]

YIKES! I would have guessed Solitary also. Now I'm confused!!

dennis

[Michael W]

That's right, it's a Spotted Sandpiper in winter plumage. I didn't mention that it was bobbing, which is a characteristic of the Spotted Sandpiper. Also, Solitary Sandpipers don't come through here very often, but that doesn't mean anything. Sibley's shows the Spotted Sandpiper with a white eye-ring.

Michael

[Larry Lade]

I also thought it was a Solitary Sandpiper!

Larry

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Michael,

Hmmm . . . got any more pics of the same bird??

I'd like to see a side-on pic for confirmation of Spotted

Michael

[Michael W]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think that Solitary Sandpipers bobbed. Does anyone know?

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

Of course you did spot it, so it is spotted, but it is on its own, so it is also solitary . . .

[Michael W]

I don't have any more pictures...sorry.

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Michael

I've seen both Green Sands and Wood Sands bob (Europe's replacements for Solitary, all three being small Tringa spp.), though not with the intensity that Spotted Sands/Common Sands (both Actitis spp.) do

Michael

[Michael W]

You may be right about this one guys. It wasn't bobbing a whole lot. If Solitary Sandpipers do bob, I won't hold to it that it's a Spotted Sandpiper.

Michael

[Michael W]

Hello again!
My dad (an avid birder who was present at the time of the sighting and grew up seeing lots of Solitary Sandpipers) and I have done a little researching and have come up with the following characteristics that convince us that it's a Spotted Sandpiper:

1. It "bobbed" as apposed to "nodding".
2. It flew with stiff wings.
3. Spotted Sandpipers are common in that area.
4. The sandpiper had a sort of a striped eye ring.
5. The sandpiper was more stocky than a typical Solitary Sandpiper.

Refer to "Peterson Field Guide to Birds", "The Audubon Society-Master Guide to Birding", "Stokes Field Guide to Birds", and "The Sibley Guide to Birds".

Thanks,
Michael

[CJW]

Solitary Sand's 'bob' - I've seen them do it.
This is a Solitary Sandpiper.

[Darrell Clegg]

I have to concur with this as a Solitary Sandpiper. The eye ring is obvious. The legs are also too long to be a Spotted Sand, and there seems to be one or two white spots on the back - these would be black in Spotted.

Darrell

[logos]

Despite what appears to be one white spot on the upperparts which might suggest a molting adult Solitary Sand I'm in favour of this being a Spotted due to the very brightly coloured legs (fleshy yellow on my monitor and lacking the green tones of even the palest Solitary). The eye-ring is indeed prominent but so is that of Spotted, especially when viewed at an angle that means adjacent supercillium can't be seen.

Knowing the date would help.

I don't think the behaviour stuff will help much though the stiff wing action seems very significant.

Did the bird have a wingbar?

Although only a minor clue the habitat here is typical for Spotted but would be odd for Solitary. Solitary is a scarce bird in Wash. State as mentioned above.

I think that this is a Spotted then but that it happens to look like a Solitary in Jizz and due to a cruel trick played by the angle and light.

Spud

[CJW]

1) The leg colour is well within the range of Solitary Sandpiper,
2) The uniformity of the size of the eye ring is right for Solitary (Spotted would show a thinner lower-half even at this angle),
3) The lack of white behind the eye is right for Solitary (Spotted would still show some white super, even at this angle).
4) The scarcity of the species in Washington State is completely irrelevant as is the choice of habitat for a 'vagrant'.

But that's only my opinion and I've been wrong before.

[CJW]

Sorry for the liberties taken with your original Michael! Just a thought......

[Michael Frankis]

Hi CJ,

Good photo-edit!

One other point in favour of Spotted, is the stout base of the bill and its slight down-curvature - anyone any thoughts on that?

Michael

[CJW]

Foreshortening.

[marek_walford]

My first reaction was Solitary Sand because of the eye ring and the apparent upright stance. However, the legs are very yellow and it's an odd angle. I appreciate birds can turn up anyway but a sandy shore seems more appropriate for Spotted than Solitary.

[marek_walford]

Sorry, just realised I've repeated what logos said.

However, it's a very plain bird; surely Solitary Sand would be fairly spotted (assuming non-breeding plumage)? To repeat logos again, what was the date?