Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Louisiana Waterthrush
Scientific name:	Parkesia Motacilla
Date:	May 8, 2017
Time:	Between 6:30 am and 12:00 pm, probably around 10:00 am
Length of time observed:	Five minutes or so
Number:	One
Age:	Adult
Sex:	Unknown
Location:	Springville
County:	Utah
Latilong:	40.14, -111.61
Elevation:	4,645 feet
Distance to bird:	30-40 feet
Optical equipment:	Nikon D80 Camera with Nikon 55-300 Zoom Lens
Weather:	Sunny
Light Conditions:	Even though the day was sunny, the bird was in shadow.
Description: Size of bird:	About 6 inches long
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Warbler-shaped
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	Brownish above, whitish breast with dark streaks, prominent eyebrow, pink legs
(Description:) Bill Type:	Slender, warbler-shaped
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	I will submit several photos that will have to be the basis of my description, after more than three years elapsed time. Here is the history: I identified it as a Northern Waterthrush at the time and submitted photos to eBird. I had only seen a Northern Waterthrush on one other occasion (in Idaho in 2014), and I have never seen a Louisiana Waterthrush. In fact, given its range map, I never gave the Louisiana Waterthrush a second thought, in 2014 or in 2017. I could tell it was a waterthrush by its field marks and the bobbing of its tail (having seen one three years earlier and having studied the field guides). After submitting the report to eBird, I received an email from Michael Lester, who had seen the photos and thought it might be a Louisiana Waterthrush. He encouraged me to submit a rare bird report for the Louisiana Waterthrush. I was hesitant to do that because I didn't really look at it that closely other than trying to get several pictures of it after realizing it was a waterthrush. For example, I did not look at the bobbing tail enough to notice whether there was any side to side movement. It felt a bit presumptuous of me to submit a Louisiana Waterthrush report when I had no idea it might be that bird at the time. Recently Michael encouraged me again to submit a report, and having recently submitted two reports, I realized there was nothing to lose by letting the committee look at the photos and make a decision. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:	None heard
Behavior:	Foraging along the muddy bank of a spring-fed stream that runs through my back yard, bobbing its tail as it went gradually downstream toward the neighbor's thick brush that would remove it from my view.
Habitat:	My back yard is basically part of a riparian corridor, with trees, brush, a steep hillside, and a stream sandwiched between houses on the north and a large bare open (for now) field to the south. It was picking its way along the bank, which was muddy from my recent attempts to deepen the channel a little.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	I'm afraid I can't be thorough. The other possibility is Northern Waterthrush, which is what I thought it was at the time and did not attempt to distinguish it from the LOWA. I was mostly trying to get photo documentation before it left my yard. (I was in the house, observing through a window.)
Previous experience with this & similar species:	No previous experience with LOWA, one previous sighting (2014) of NOWA while I was fishing the Henry's Lake Outlet in eastern Idaho. Habitat was very similar, with brush and a muddy stream bank. One other audible record, also from eastern Idaho, in 2015, at a location where the bird had been reported the day before.
References consulted:	Complete Birds of North America (National Geographic) along with Peterson's Field Guide and probably a few other field guides as well.
Description from:	From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Noel Zaugg
Observer's address:	268 Sweetwater Drive, Springville, UT 84663
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:	None, except for Michael Lester looking at the photos on eBird and thinking I might have misidentified it.
Date prepared:	July 20, 2020
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	I will submit two emails with all of the photos (except for a few that are extremely blurry and not of any help).