Hi


I send the Sandpiper pictures on Yahoo.

http://ar.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fabrschmitt/my_photos

If you can't reach the pictures with this link, just tell me, and I will send you the pictures on your private email.

I think that Sandpip1 is a Semipalmated Sandpiper, adult, in a almost complete wintering plumage (almost finished molt).

I received two answer about this bird :
"I think it (sandpiper1) also is C. mauri -- the bill is thin at the tip (a pusilla with a bill that short would be more wide at the tip of the bill).  Also, in side view (sandpip1-a) the bill looks more like mauri than pusilla.  Surely it is a male with the bill that short! (Brian Harrington)"

" I believe your ID's are correct - the first bird appears to be a basic plumaged Semipalmated Sandp (bulbous tip of bill, grayish overall, with back and scapular feathers showing a thin brown centerline,  pattern on side of chest),  (Robert Wallace)"

This would be the more austral record for this species.


Sandpip2 : I think it's a Wesern Sandpiper - Calidris mauri, adult, in an almost complete wintering plumage (but the molt is not so advanced than the Sandpip1)
I received these answers :
"Sandp2 is C. mauri -- small traces of the more russet color remains on a few of the remaining summer feathers.  Also, the molt is quite advanced, more advanced than most C. pusilla would be during this week. (Brian Harrington)"
"the second is a basic Western Sandp - based on the bill length and droop at the tip, and the coloration of the scapulars and tertials with broad brownish centers. (Robert Wallace)"

This would be the first documented record for Chile. M. Marin in his "Annotaded Checklist of the birds of Chile" doesn't include this species in the main list and wrote "Sallaberry et al. (1985) informed of a record of this species (banded ?), on 26th march 1984 at Coquimbo (30°S), but they do not mention any type of physical evidence or how they identified the species. Tabilo et al. (1990) mentioned the same individuals, apparently, wich was captured with a mist-net and banded in March 1984. As mentionned by the same authors the closest records for the species are in Mollendo, Peru (17°S)" 

Well, your comments about these birds are very welcome !!

[I particulary asked me about the possibility for a Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis, for Sandpip1..... because the molt is very advanced, the bill tip is not so large, the wings are quite long and longer than the tail tip.
If you have good knowledge about this species, it would be also very interesting to have good features on the identification of this species in this plumage]

Thanks to Robert and Brian for their help, and to the other ones who will send other comments on the list (I hope).

by,
Fabrice Schmitt
Santiago de Chile