|
Several people have asked for additional info on
the three Red Knots Glenn Barlow and I saw Wednesday on the mudflats south
of the first bridge (between mm 5 and 6) on Antelope Island
Causeway.
The knots wore their rusty
summer plumage and were just SLIGHTLY smaller than the 31 Black-bellied Plovers
accompanying them. Glenn and I had a partial side view since
we were driving the Causeway from east to west. We didn't see
any white on any of the three knots, including undertail coverts, as all
three shorebirds were generally facing north into the wind. The
size of the birds ruled out the larger shorebirds--any godwit and both
dowitchers, and the much smaller Red Phalarope, Curlew Sandpiper (Ha! Just
wanted to be thorough), and rusty Sanderlings (no white on the knots'
bellies, anyway).
Both Glenn and I got out of
the truck, hunkered down next to the tires to get out of the wind,
and studied with our scopes. The knots had shorter legs than the
plovers and a hunched-shoulders look as if they didn't
have necks. They were quite cleanly rusty on their
heads, necks and all the way down through the
bellies. Their folded wings and backs appeared to be a mottled
grayish-tan, and the bills were definitely not long. We were not close
enough to determine leg color.
With that size (compared to
the plovers' size) and those field marks, we once again ruled out any other
rusty-reddish shorebird. Hope this information helps.
Kris
|