More on Bird of the week 39

Basic non-breading plumage Sanderling

I was impressed by what you all came up with as answers to this ID challenge.  I wanted to comment on Kelsey, Shilah and Davied's guess.  Bird of the Week 39 is in basic non breading plumage which it will retain until it starts migrating in the spring.  By the time it reaches the Arctic Tundra it will be in it's brighter breading plumage and  many shorebirds only keep that plumage for six to eight weeks before molting and changing back to winter plumage.  So many of the birds do look a lot alike.  Review the points I listed again.  look at the bill length, leg color and with this bird the length of the primary feathers in relation to the tail help to separate it.

Having said that, I wanted to share a challenge I had yesterday.  Sanderlings are in Oregon but not nearly as common as they are on the east coast.  I was at Merritt Island National Seashore yesterday and found this Sanderling, almost completely molted into basic winter, non-breading plumage.  It has been a while since I had seen a Sanderling and it took some time with the bird books before I figured it out.  I should have know this, I have seen thousands of Sanderlings over the years.  i have never seen a Sanderling in breeding plumage, they are very red in tht plumage.  I can see why Kelsey, Shilah and Davied, chose this one it does look a lot like Bird of the Week 39, particularly the primary feather projection.  

Have one more go at it and I will reveal the answer when I see the new attempts.  Good Luck