clay curlews

[jn316]

My birding ability has diminished considerably since I was in 6th grade (when Eisenhower was president), and even above treeline where the choices are few I can get confused.
Could I have seen 2 curlews on the summit ridge of mt. clay this week?
light brown, about 10-12 " long, with a v. pronounced downward curving long bill.

i've seen other birds from afar that get blown up there.
Yyears ago a n. conway pigeon rode a southeast breeze to lakes of the clouds, where it hung around for a week.

 

[cooperhill]

I don't think it was a curlew. A Baird's Sandpiper is my best guess, although it doesn't have a "very" pronounced downward bill.

 

[el-bagr]

I've been trying to come up with a good answer for you since you posted. Your sighting is definitely intriguing. I wouldn't rule the curlew out just yet.

A number of plover/sandpiper-type shorebirds utilize tundra and alpine habitats. Many of these species would be migrating from their breeding grounds in northern Canada to South America at this time of year. It is possible that they would stop over on the Presidential alpine area.

The Upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) is an alpine-loving shorebird, but is rather rare in our area. Solitary sandpiper is much more common -- I've seen them at a number of wet, higher-altitude sites in the WMNF -- but is smaller (7" as opposed to 10"). Neither has a pronounced decurved beak, but unless you are close up, that field mark can be deceiving. If it was a curlew, you could expect it to be fairly large -- over 12". Other possibilities include the godwits.

Baird's Sandpiper is known to utilize alpine habitat on migration. That's a good guess, though the size and bill reported make the ID a stretch. See this PDF chart of avian use of alpine/montane areas.

 

[cooperhill]

Thanks for the great chart el-bagr. Too bad the Bristle-thighed Curlew's range is restricted to the West coast or I'd say that.

 

[Jack Waldron]

Not sure what you saw but I talked with a hiker last Friday evening at Madison Hut who had seen a "plover" type bird on Washington earlier that day. We looked through the Bird guide books but he was unable to make a positive ID.

 

[sardog1]

Ah wouldn't rule out nuthin' jest yet.

From The Sibley Guide to Birds:

"Shorebirds are well known for long-distance vagrancy. (p.161)"

Mr. Sibley shows Northeastern records for Whimbrel ("identical" in shape and size to Bristle-thighed Curlew); Long-billed Curlew; a boatload of different godwits; and this:

"Wandering Tattler nests along mountain streams[.] L 11", WS 26", WT 3.9 OZ (110 g). Short-legged, long-winged, and fairly long-billed; uniform gray plumage and bobbing movements distinctive." Sibley shows a very few, very non-maritime records away from the Pacific coast.

I wouldn't rule out anything on size alone. It's not so late in the season that a juvenile bird might not confuse an observer, especially without a nearby adult for comparison.

Now, if you see that recently famous red-footed falcon (originally from Africa, late of Martha's Vineyard) in the mountains, be sure to let us know!

 

[el-bagr]

Jack, sightings of plover-shaped birds on tundra plateaux at this time of year may be Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris -- as the specific name suggests, they utilize alpine habitat). Not too related to plovers, but they come in masses around this time of year.

Shorebirds (including actual plovers) are also possible.