(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Daily Bucket - Yellowlegs ( < lesser) or (greater > ) [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-26 Yellowlegs are found in nearly all of North America. People living in Canada get to see both the Greater and Lesser species in breeding plumage. I live in a migration zone and see adults in non-breeding plumage or juveniles. That makes it tough to id the species. I recorded this video of a Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) and know I got the family correct (field ID) but I didn’t know the species until I got home. Here is what I discovered. 1 minute film . The Yellowlegs in the video is about the same size as the Killdeer it was feeding near. It wasn’t until it was ready to launch did it make a call. I could hear an answer beyond (not recorded) that my bird was responding to. That was the deciding factor in my identification. I gathered my other photos of Yellowlegs and decided to challenge myself on identification by the other markers of these two species. Here is what I have and I’ll provide my answers later. If you’d like to try for a visual exam, feel free to play along. Yellowlegs #1 Yellowlegs #2 Yellowlegs #3 Yellowlegs #4 Yellowlegs #5 Yellowlegs #6 Here are my guesses and if there needs to be a correction, now is the time for discussion. * 1 = Lesser, 2 = Lesser, 3 = Lesser 4 = Greater, 5 = Lesser, 6 = Greater * I realize I had the advantage of seeing the birds in their environment. I could tell their bulk and height compared to the surroundings. Most of these birds did not call so I couldn’t count on that indicator. Bill length is the final factor (liken it to Downy and Hairy Woodpecker comparison) in judgement. Getting a better sighting helps solve the riddle to those that encounter these two species. I’ll give you one more video of Yellowlegs. You pick the species. 30 second film I sharing the next video for the pure entertainment value it offers. I was lucky enough to observe a covey of Bobwhite Quail emerge from a thicket. The young females were heading to a feeding area prepared by the Rangers of the Wildlife refuge. I sure appreciated the moment in time and space. 1 minute film . Here is another short video of interest. Most all of us watch Belted Kingfisher and seldom get the chance to film them. I was able to focus on a perch used for hunting by this male. He made several dives for fish and returned to the same perch. Once he made a catch, he moved on to another perch and started the sequence all over again. Here is what I recorded. 38 second film The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns. We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow. Consider this an open thread and share any of your own encounters. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/26/2198688/-Daily-Bucket-Yellowlegs-lt-lesser-or-greater-gt?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/