This bird was first noticed by Kevin McGann then picked up by Chris Spagnoli (?), as a large shorebird preening among a crowd of Green-winged Teal beyond a strip of mud beyond a lot of vegetation in the northwest portion of Puddler's as viewed from a southeast vantage along Towpath road where the goldenrod was recently mowed. Chris saw the bird flap once, showing a bold black-and-white stripe pattern on the wings, but before he could determine whether it was a Willet or a Hudsonian Godwit, the dang thing went to sleep and was lost among the teal! For about a half hour several of us stared through scopes at the small shimmering brownish teal-blobs in the place Kevin & Chris described. Finally the shorebird lifted its head again and showed a dark upturned bill, and considerably later it flapped its wings again for the rest of us. Finally, enough teal moved aside and the shorebird was in full view in profile as it stood above them, even though it was still too far and shimmery for much detail. Still I identified the bird as a juvenile HUDSONIAN GODWIT, because the breast and neck were buffy tan, the back and wings were more gray, and the belly was whitish. We could not see any face pattern. Those who saw the 3 Hudsonian Godwits last week said they were adults and this was a different plumage. The bill of this bird was dark with a slight upturn, and the black-and-white pattern was visible on the underside of the wing, all indicating Hudsonian, not Black-tailed Godwit.
--Dave Nutter
On Oct 09, 2011, at 12:45 PM, [email protected] wrote:
CayugaRBA HUDSONIAN GODWIT at Puddler's, sleeping among distant Green-winged Teal in heat shimmer. GOOD LUCK!
--Dave Nutter
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