Peep

[okaugust]

Warrenton Sewage Treatment Ponds, Warrenton, OR around 6:00 pm Friday 8/25/2023

The tides come up and the birds that are feeding on the mudflats along the Columbia come into the ponds to feed and roost a bit.

Most common birds are Western Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper, but new migrating arrivals coming south are showing up as well, including an obvious Pectoral Sandpiper and yesterday a Stilt Sandpiper. I haven't gotten out to pick the Stilt yet (hopefully) but did get some nice looks and photos of the Pectoral. This bird was out with the Pectoral, and given the yellow/orange cast to the bill and legs first thought was a second Pectoral for both me and another birder that came out after, but now it's giving us both a bit of consternation as it doesn't look straight up like a Pectoral.

His commentary:

...if it's not a Pectoral Sandpiper, and not a Least or Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Least Sandpiper being the most likely obviously), its a Long-toed Stint...and that would be a mega rare!

Hmm, not a Long-toed Stint, as they don't show long primary projection...

 

The bird caught my attention for its size. In the waning light I thought it was a Baird's at first, then with the nearby Pectoral, close in side, not nearly as tiny as the usual least, and with more color to the bill than the usual Least. So...

 

 

 

This one might be the Pectoral, I got them muddled up at that point both in view and crossing each other.

 

Thanks!!!

Edited August 27 by okaugust

[DLecy]

It's a Pectoral.

[AlexHenry]

What made you think it wasn’t a Pectoral? There can be considerable variation in size between individuals (largely due to gender)

Edited August 27 by AlexHenry

[okaugust]

Not seeing the heavy streaking on the breast, but it is probably just the angle.

Thanks for looking and the feedback. 🙂

[AlexHenry]

For the record, Pectoral Sandpipers are not peeps. Dunlin are not peeps either. Peeps are Least, Semipalmated, Western, Baird’s, and White-rumped Sandpipers. If you are going to use the “peep sp” option in eBird, that should not include things that aren’t peeps; for example, if there is a mixed flock of Dunlin and Peeps that you don’t feel like estimating numbers for, you should use “Calidris sp” instead of “Peep sp”

[Charlie Spencer]

2 hours ago, AlexHenry said:

For the record, Pectoral Sandpipers are not peeps. Dunlin are not peeps either. Peeps are Least, Semipalmated, Western, Baird’s, and White-rumped Sandpipers. If you are going to use the “peep sp” option in eBird, that should not include things that aren’t peeps; for example, if there is a mixed flock of Dunlin and Peeps that you don’t feel like estimating numbers for, you should use “Calidris sp” instead of “Peep sp”

Why I swore off using the term 'Peep'.  It's all I can do to identify them; remembering which ones are and which ones aren't 'peeps' isn't worth the trouble.  If there's a scientific reason behind which ones are considered 'peeps', I'd love to have it explained.  Maybe that will help me remember.  To me, it's just a list that someone decided could be called 'peeps' with nothing connecting them.

[okaugust]

Noted 🙂