ID-FRONTIERS for April 15-21, 2001

Messages are displayed in the order they were received.  Subject  From  Date   Time   Marin Civic Center Glaucous Gull photos   Joseph Morlan    Tue, 17 Apr 2001   1:09pm   Semidi Island Goose   Millington/BIS    Fri, 20 Apr 2001   11:41am   American Golden Plover in NE Spain   Ricard Gutierrez    Fri, 20 Apr 2001   3:59pm   Sandhill Crane at Sting-Ray's   Ned Brinkley    Fri, 20 Apr 2001   6:57pm

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Subject: Marin Civic Center Glaucous Gull photos
From: Joseph Morlan <jmorlan(AT)CCSF.ORG>
Date: 17 Apr 2001 1:09pm

ID Frontiers,

Thanks to a contribution by Stephen J. Davies I have been able to post
four images of the Glaucous Gull reported at the Marin Civic Center.
You can view the photos at

http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jmorlan/mysteries.htm

Is everyone in agreement that this is a Glaucous Gull?

--
Joseph Morlan, Pacifica, CA 94044: mailto:jmorlan(AT)ccsf.org
California Birding & new rarities: http://fog.ccsf.org/~jmorlan/
California Bird Records Committee: http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/cbrc/


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Subject: Semidi Island Goose
From: Millington/BIS <sales(AT)birdingworld.co.uk>
Date: 20 Apr 2001 11:41am

Further to the recent postings about the appearance of Semidi Island Canada
Goose, David Pitkin (Wildlife Biologist for the Oregon Coast National
Wildlife Refuge Complex) has suggested that I clarify one or two points.

The 'Birding World Top Photo' actually portrayed an atypical example of a
Semidi Islands Canada Goose, because the white neck ring was extremely
wide -- as a matter of fact, that particular individual is an anomaly, in
that it has the widest neck band in the entire flock...

The Semidi Geese are a particular passion of David's (as I know from the few
hours I spent with him there), and really knows this flock of geese well.
He is keen to point out that what really characterizes Semidi breeders
is the variability of their neck rings, especially on the narrow side;
very few geese in the Semidi flock have neck rings wider than the
average Aleutian's. Some adults, in fact, have virtually no detectable
neck ring.

A photograph of a more 'typical' Semidi Islands breeder
is now available on http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingworld.html

The third Aleutian form, the Chagulak Island breeders, seem to winter in the
central valley of California with or near the Buldir population. The salient
field characters have not been investigated, but check for birds wearing
green neck collars and/or green leg bands, for starters...

good birding
Richard Millington

sales(AT)birdingworld.co.uk
(Birding World, Books for Birders & Birdline)
Bird Information Service, Stonerunner, Coast Road,
Cley next the Sea, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 7RZ, UK
(VAT Reg 676 8589 56)
Tel. 44 (0) 1263 741139  Fax. 741173
Website www.birdingworld.co.uk


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Subject: American Golden Plover in NE Spain
From: Ricard Gutierrez <GUTARB(AT)terra.es>
Date: 20 Apr 2001 3:59pm

Hello:
We've got the 1st-ever American Golden Plover (P.dominica) in Catalonia, NE
Spain, Europe, this April (16-18.4 at least) and the bird was moulting
coverts but had very worn feathering as well. I've put a batch of photos and
vidcaps on the Rare Birds in Spain website
http://www.terra.es/personal3/gutarb/
I'd like to know if this mixture of new/old feathering as well as general
aspect of the bird is enough indicative of a 1st summer, which is what we
think, or not, as we don't have enough direct experience in this kind of
plumage, the birds we see in Spain (few) mostly being juveniles in autumn.
Any comments will be welcome.

Thank you

Ricard Gutiérrez
RBS
http://www.terra.es/personal3/gutarb
21.4.2001


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Subject: Sandhill Crane at Sting-Ray's
From: Ned Brinkley <Phoebetria(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 20 Apr 2001 6:57pm

Hey there,

So I'm driving along thinking of nothing in particular and think, "hey,
someone put one of those plastic Sandhill Crane decoys in the field across
from Sting-Ray's."  Then it moved.  An adult Sandhill Crane spent the entire
afternoon not a stone's throw from the infamous restaurant at the Cape
Center, near Capeville, Northampton County, just about 7 miles north of Wise
Point.  I phone Calvin Brennan (who had seen two Sandhills at the refuge last
Sunday) just about 4 minutes after seeing it, then went to Cape Charles and
got Steve Hairfield to go see it.  A lot less often seen around here than the
crane, Steve had gotten long looks at a foraging and feeding Barred Owl (not
common in Northampton County) near Machipongo this morning.

Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA