Wandering Tattler???

[EdV]

Here is the description from my field guide - "uniformly dark gray above; white eyebrow flecked with gray; bill is dark; legs dull yellow. In breeding plumage, underparts are heavily barred."

Once again, a shot from today (overcast, foggy, misty) along one of the small beaches along 17-Mile Drive between Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach, CA.

Is this, indeed, a Wandering Tattler (or more correctly - a pair)?

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s1/EdV_02/164_1_1.jpg

[canonloader]

Your just having too much fun with your new birdy buddies. :)

Very nice shot Ed.

[hTr]

If you are in Alaska it is, They sure look like them.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Wandering_Tattler.html

[EdV]

Mitch, Gary, thanks for the comments. Gary, I'm not in Alaska. I'm in Central California but these guys sure look like Tattlers to me. Every point of the description fits. And I can't find any other option that fits the bill.

So the question is... are these Wandering Tattlers who have wandered a bit farther south of their range?

[davewalters]

Hi, yes they are for sure Wandering Tattler. They do winter on the Californian coastline and will have been returning to that area from the start of July as failed breeders.

[EdV]

Hi, yes they are for sure Wandering Tattler. They do winter on the Californian coastline and will have been returning to that area from the start of July as failed breeders.

Thanks for helping to confirm the identity as Wandering Tattlers. These birds don't exactly stand out against the background. If it wasn't for the Black Oystercatcher standing to their left on the rocks (who initially caught my attention), I would probably have missed these guys. Since I have taken a number of very good Black Oystercatcher images the past couple of days, I passed on the BO and focused in on the Tattlers.

I'm gald I did. :D;)

[Cooper911]

I like the composition of this shot. Nicely done.

[EdV]

I like the composition of this shot. Nicely done.

Thanks Cooper. I thought they turned out pretty well considering I almost missed them entirely.

[dancinec]

Look like my wandering tattler shots except when they are in So. California, they are non-breeding.
http://www.pbase.com/dancinec/image/73730510.jpg

[stevefossimages]

What Dave said

[EdV]

What Dave said

Thanks, Steve.