Dowitcher

[mkdu...@comcast.net]

Attached are 3 photos of the dowitcher I saw yesterday, unfortunately very blurred, but maybe you experts out there can make something out of them.  I did see the legs (muted yellowish - definitely not black) and the entirely rufous belly (Sibley says breeding short-billed has a white belly).  

The Fries Lincoln's sparrow was not singing, just foraging in grass on trail.  I've heard Lincoln's singing on breeding territories in Utah and Idaho but not in the east, although the ones that show up on our farm in fall migration do have a characteristic chip note which alerts me to look for them.  

p.s. A new yard bird this afternoon, an American Bittern.

Margaret Dunson

Galax, VA

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "Donald Mackler" <dmac...@vt.edu>
To: "NRVBirds" <nrvb...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2013 7:49:16 PM
Subject: Re: [NRV Birds] LB Dowitcher Grayson Co.


Wow, Long-billed Dowitcher confirmations are very rare in Mountain & Valley region of VA (Short-billeds not as rare). I never get Lincoln's in the spring. Anybody ever hear one sing while they're coming through Virginia?



On Sat, May 11, 2013 at 12:11 PM, < mkdu...@comcast.net > wrote:




Upon walking out the door of our old farm house this morning I was delighted to see a couple sandpipers sitting on a rock in our small pond. The spotted sandpiper quickly flew off but amazingly the long-billed dowitcher was pretty tame. I studied it for awhile then after retrieving better binoculars & an old camera inched closer to a picnic table about 50 feet away where I watched it for about 10 min. I usually see dowitchers in their winter plumage so checked Sibley on my I-phone while bird was right in front of me for verification, and subject bird was pretty much identical to the breeding long-billed photo.

After it flew off I noticed our FOS willow flycatcher. Later I heard a FOS great-crested flycatcher but unlike the willow flycatcher they do not stay here for breeding season.
Also I had nice looks at a FOS migrating veerie back in our woods while enjoying wood thrush song and then saw a 3rd sandpiper of the day, this time a solitary .


p.s. At a different location yesterday, the New River Trail State Park adjacent to land owned by the city of Fries, I was surprised to find a Lincoln's sparrow. I expected the B. oriole, I. bunting, yellow-throated & yellow warblers, rough-winged swallows, ect... but was really surprised that there'd be a Lincoln's there as I usually encounter them only in the fall. There were also migrating yellow-rumped warblers singing, all decked our in their bold breeding colors.


Margaret Dunson
Galax, VA

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