Monday, April 30, 2012

Short-Billed or just Short-Changed?

I recently photographed a small group of feeding Dowitcher. As always, I was on the look-out for a Short-Billed, having never conclusively found one before. One of the birds stood out from the pack this time. It seemed lighter and smaller than the other Dowitchers. Of course, none of those things in themselves prove it's a Short-Billed, but if anyone can venture a guess from these grainy photos I'd appreciate it.




I'm not getting my hopes up, but you never know...
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  1. Seagull SteveMay 1, 2012 at 10:54 AM

    Hmmm...seems like no one has been willing to venture into these murky waters...the barring on the tail looks like a normal Long-billed. I would venture to say its smallness and short-billedness can probably be attributed to it being a male of whatever species it is. Big help, I know.

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    1. Laurence ButlerMay 1, 2012 at 11:55 AM

      Thanks for stepping up to the plate there Seagull. I agree. I was hoping against hope, even when the signs were negligible. I'm tempted to stop seeking the inland Short-Billed altogether, to crawl into some deep dark hole where the Dowitchers can never reach me, no matter how Long-Billed they might be...

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