Monday, May 28, 2012

Shoot Me Monday


I haven't posted here in a while since I was busy with end of the school-year stuff.  But my summer break is finally here!  I celebrated on Friday by waking up at 5 a.m. to go birding.  Non-birders would scratch their heads at this.  My target bird was a Hudsonian Godwit that was found with a Marbled Godwit at Lake Cochise on Tuesday.  The last confirmed sighting of Hudsonian Godwit in Arizona was 16 years ago, so I was praying it was still there.  As I arrived, I saw one other car on the perimeter of the tiny lake.  I pulled up to the gentleman and asked if he had seen the godwits.  "They're right there," he pointed with a chuckle.  Ha, I love drive-up lifers!  Sure enough they were feeding together furiously.  Marbled Godwits are a rare spring transient in Southeast Arizona.  And this is the 6th record of Hudsonian Godwit in Arizona. Luckily I've seen lots of Marbled Godwits in San Diego, so I was able to tell them apart.  Lots of Arizona birders who are unfamiliar with both species were having a hard time distinguishing the two.

Hudsonian Godwit (right) & Marbled Godwit (left)
Hudsonian Godwit in the wind
Hudsonian Godwit showing distinctive black tail, white uppertail coverts, and white wing stripe
 CERange Map for Hudsonian Godwit

 CERange Map for Marbled Godwit
 

5 comments:

  1. Congrats on the Hudsonian Godwit. That'd be a lifer for me too. Enjoy summer break!

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  2. Whew way to go wit God Jeremy!
    Awesome birds, what a spectacular find!

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  3. Congratulations on the life bird, Jeremy ... and so easy to find! I would love to see one of these beauties!

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  4. Congrats on the wonderful find Jeremy.

    As a retired teacher I understand your excitement at being through with school for a few weeks. Make the most of them with the birds!

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