Enda said:
at least 3 experienced birders(2 irish & 1 yank) have formed the opinion,from what they have seen in gerrys pics,based mainly on structure that it is in fact a long billed dowitcher. still an excellent bird for Louth
The link to that discussion is here:
http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind0701b&L=birdwg01 see items six and seven. Killian Mullarneys comment was heavily leaning towards long billed but not ruling out short billed completely yet...(hope springs eternal!)
"From: Killian Mullarney
Subject: Re: Dowitcher in IRELAND
Comments: To: Kevin McGowan
Comments: cc: gerry o neill
Kevin's spontaneous assessment of this bird based on Gerry O' Neill's video-grabs (see
http://www.birdguides.com/birdnews/pictures.asp?t=376810) is very welcome, as there has not yet been any public debate on the identification in Ireland (Dundalk, incidentally, is on the east coast of Ireland, not in Britain).
I have not heard the reasons why this bird is considered probably a Short-billed and I am unsure if this tentative identification is proposed by observers who have seen the bird or if others have offered this opinion based on the photographs and verbal accounts. Either way, I don't think anyone involved would be inclined to "presume" anything when it comes to identifying a distant winter-plumaged Short-billed Dowitcher in Europe, where Short-billed is very much rarer than Long-billed.
I received slightly clearer versions of Gerry's shots last night (which I'm sure Gerry wouldn't object to me forwarding to anyone on this list who'd like to receive them) but I cannot discern anything to make me think it looks more like a Short-billed than a Long-billed; indeed, several features, if they can be determined reliably from these images, point to it being a Long-billed. It appears to have more Long-billed-like diffusely darkish centres to the brownish scapulars and in most shots it looks decidedly round-backed. I'm not sure how reliable an indicator of Long-billed this round-backed look is, but in marginal quality images of this kind I am wary of judging the subtle plumage differences that help differentiate between the two dowitchers in basic/winter plumage.
There is a good chance this bird (discovered only a couple of days ago) will linger and that when the strong winds die down it will become easier to view, and maybe even to hear a call. In the meantime, it would be good to hear the opinions of others on this list who take an interest in dowitcher identification.
Regards,
Killian Mullarney
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin McGowan
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 5:54 PM
Subject: [BIRDWG01] Dowitcher in Britain
I just got an alert from Birdguides that pointed to a presumed Short-billed
Dowitcher in Britain, at
http://www.birdguides.com/birdnews/pictures.asp?t=376810. A quick look
made me think Long-billed, based one round body shape and bill
length. Anyone else care to comment?
Kevin
*****************************************************
Kevin J. McGowan
Co-editor, New York State Breeding Bird Atlas
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
607/254-2432
fax 607/254-2111
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http://birds.cornell.edu/crows/