Date: 12/11/24 2:01 pm From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Nominate Rock Sandpiper near the end of Ward Street, Dec 7th
Hi all -
One of the four Rock Sandpipers on the rocks at the end of Ward Street,
MacKerricher State Park, present December 7, has been identified by
Alaskan shorebird experts as the nominate ("Pribilof") subspecies
/Calidris ptilocnemis ptilocnemis/. This would appear to be the first
record of his subspecies for California, the others assumed to have all
been of /C. p. tschuktschorum/ that breeds on the Chukotsk Peninsula to
western Alaska. There is one other record of the nominate subspecies
south of Alaska, in Ocean Shores, Washington, during the winter of
2000-2001.
The nominate bird is larger and noticeably paler or "frostier" than the
other three. I have aged this bird and all but one of the duller birds
as adults so this is not an age-related difference. Photos and comments
from Bob Gill and Dan Ruthrauff are contained in the checklist:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S204846538.
This and two duller Rock Sandpipers (the HY and an AHY) were on the
rocks that jut out to the south of the southwest corner of Ward Street,
where shorebirds often roost. They were feeding with 16 Surfbirds and
there were also a few Black Turnstones here. The fourth Rock Sandpiper
(an AHY) was with a higher number of BLTUs on the rocks down and to the
right of the NW corner of Ward Street (trailhead to 10-mile beach),
immediately to the right of the beach with the remaining Fin Whale
carcass, at which Turkey Vultures and ravens continue to poke.
