Birds of a different feather

  

A few more miscellaneous bird photos from Hawai'i for you...

Above, a kōlea, or Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva), all dressed up for the breeding season and departing soon for the Arctic tundra.

 

 

 

Close-up of a nēnē , or Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis), endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.

 

 

 

 

A distant photo, but these were my first kioea, or Bristle-thighed Curlews (Numenius tahitiensis).

 

 

 

Also distant, but fun to see a pueo, or Hawaiian Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus sandwichensis).

 

 

 

An ‘ūlili, or Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) on a nice bed of limu kala. (I think this might be Sargassum aquifolium, formerly S. echinocarpum, but feel free to correct me!)  This endemic species is the state seaweed of Hawai'i and an important alga used in cultural practices by native Hawaiians.

 

 

 

‘Ā, or Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster).

Thanks for tuning in for some special guests from Hawai'i!

Side by side

 

 

A couple of days ago I noticed a few shorebirds in the distance on the rocky shore.  At first I thought all three were going to be Wandering Tattlers (Tringa incana), but with a closer view I could see that one of the birds looked different.

You can compare the two species in the photos above and below.  Note the shade of gray, the amount of pale feather edging, the facial markings around the eye, and the bill length and thickness.  In the photo below you might also be able to compare the leg color.

 

 

 

I usually encounter Red Knots (Calidris canutus) on the tidal flats in Bodega Harbor, so I haven't seen these two species side by side very often. 

The Wandering Tattler is darker gray, shows more subtle pale feather edges (so looks less "scaly"), has more substantial white markings encircling the eye, has a slightly long and thicker (less tapered) bill, and has yellower legs.

The Red Knot is paler gray, has extensive pale feather edges (so looks very "scaly"), has more subtle markings around the eye (but does have a dark line through the eye and pale line above the eye), has a slightly shorter and more tapered bill, and has greenish-yellow legs.

Now I'll show one photo of each so you can guess which is which:

 

 

 

 

 

Nicely done!  The first of the two photos shows a Red Knot and the second shows a Wandering Tattler.  Both of these birds are juveniles. 

Although knot so obvious from a distance, now that you know what to look for, it will be easier to help anyone who is wandering how to tell these juvenile shorebirds apart.  ;)

Tattler views

  

I spent some time watching a Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) near Salt Point today (22 May 2022).

 

 

 

The tattler seemed very interested in amphipods (small crustaceans) in shallow pools.  In the photo below, there's an amphipod at the tip of the tattler's bill (even more visible in the shadow):

 

 

 

 

One time the tattler was feeding near the edge of the water when a larger wave surged up on to the rock.  I just happened to have my camera ready and snapped a photo before it flew up higher on the shore: 

 

 

 

Watch out for sneaker waves!

Feathers like fog

  

Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana), 4 September 2021

 

 

Landscape with tattler

 

I heard the wonderful calls of a Wandering Tattler this afternoon.  No pictures today, but here's one from back in April.

P.S.  I like the way the tattler blends in with this rocky landscape.  To find it, scan for a very small pale gray sandpiper perched on the bare rock near the center of the image.

Spring tattler

 

Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana)

Coastal patterns

 

Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) near Newport, Oregon, on 4 June 2019.

Also nearby were these amazing Gooseneck Barnacles (Pollicipes polymerus).  They were noticeably large individuals!

 

One more photo — a close-up of the Gooseneck Barnacles highlighting the wonderful patterns created by their plates:

 

A tale of tattlers

This is one of my favorite local shorebirds.  Here's a series of Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) images from 6 September 2018.

Four different individuals, first two active and then two resting:

 

 

One individual, alert and then asleep:

 

 

In flight (a nice view of the feathers):

 

A distant photo, but showing a tattler just after it had caught a very large isopod (most likely Pentidotea wosnesenskii):

 

Island of activity

I haven't shown a picture of Bodega Rock in a while.  This picture was taken from the southern end of Bodega Head on 18 July 2015.  There was lots of sea lion and cormorant activity.  You might be able to spot some pelicans, too.  I wished I had had my audio recorder, as I could hear a Wandering Tattler over there!

Time with a tattler

A few pictures of a juvenile Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana), photographed on Bodega Head, 13 August 2014.  (Note the white tips to the feathers.)


Showing the habitat along the rocky outer coast:

 

Roosting:

 

Preening:

 

Searching for prey among the mussels:

 

Like water off a...

...tattler's back?

This Wandering Tattler was perched along the rocky shore near Yachats, Oregon on 22 May 2013.

 

Although intermittent, the rain was coming down pretty hard at times.  In the next image, you can see raindrops falling diagonally across the picture and water droplets beaded up on the tattler's back.

 

 

Tattler-tale

I'm excited to share a tale about a tattler.  This afternoon I took a short break to watch some shorebirds feeding among the algae and waves on the intertidal rocks.  Most of the time it feels impossible to identify exactly what the birds are eating, so I was a little surprised when a Wandering Tattler caught something quite large.  Can you tell what it is? 

 

This happened pretty quickly, but I captured several views on film.  The first photo (above) shows the back of the prey, while the next photo (below) shows the prey flipped over, belly-side up.

 

The next image displays the prey from the side.

 

This tattler caught a small fish, probably a sculpin, although I'm not sure which species. I found one reference that talked about Wandering Tattlers catching freshwater sculpins at a lake in Alaska, but I don't know how often they eat marine sculpins.  Examples of other prey listed for Wandering Tattlers include the following: aquatic insects (flies, crane flies, stoneflies, caddisflies, midges), polychaete worms, snails, amphipods, and small crabs.

Here's one more view, this time with the sculpin facing you.  Seems like quite a bill-full for the tattler!

 

Vermiculations and a rippled trill

 

Yesterday was a "three tattler" day!  Previously I'd only seen one or two individuals at once, but I observed three Wandering Tattlers (Tringa incana) on 28 July 2012.  Most tattler sightings are of one or two individuals.  In The Birds of Sonoma County, there are only two other definite records of three birds.  [As far as I can tell, there haven't been sightings of more than three individuals at one time in Sonoma County.]

All of these photos are of one individual.  Note the dark barring on the underparts, sometimes described as vermiculations (i.e., marked by irregular or wavy lines).  Also visible are the large yellow feet (good for gripping rocks?).

 

Tattlers can have a very different profile depending on whether their neck is outstretched or pulled in.  In the photo below, look for the primary projection — how far the tips of the primaries (outermost wing feathers) extend past the tail.

 

Here's a good view of the stout, straight bill and the relatively short yellowish legs. 

 

If you'd like to listen to a Wandering Tattler call, here's a recording I made on Bodega Head.  Among the waves, listen for the rippled trill call — in this case, four notes sometimes written as ki-ree-ree-ree.  [The same call is heard three times.]

wandering tattler by nhbh

P.S.  There's more about tattlers in this post from 20 April 2012.