Long-Billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus
Short-Billed and Long-Billed Dowitchers are very difficult to distinguish in the field. We know both species for the “sewing machine” action they exhibit while feeding. Their ‘flight call’ is the most reliable means to determine which dowitcher you’ve seen. Listeners describe the notes of the Short-Billed as more mellow than the Long-Billed Dowitcher. There is a difference in habitat preference for the two, but there can be some overlap. The Short-Billed favors beaches and mud flats, whereas the Long-Billed favors grassy freshwater areas.
Summers find these birds further north and west than their Short-Billed cousins. The breeding territory of these birds spans the coasts of the Bering and Chukchi Seas. One half of the birds nest in northeastern Siberia and the other in northern Alaska and Canada’s Yukon and Northwest Territories. Most of these birds migrate to the southern USA and Mexico, but the east and west coasts of the USA also host these birds in winter. In Asia, Japan and Taiwan regularly see these birds in winter.
Science regards the Long-Billed Dowitcher as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies).
I’ve met wintering birds in Oregon, California, Arizona, and Nevada. One day I’d like to visit them at their Arctic summer homes.
31 Photos
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) South San Diego Bay near the Chula Vista Marina. San Diego County, California USA 2009-04-18. |
Date Taken: 2009:04:18 8:31 |
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Location:
J-Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD5539.LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Whelan Lake, near Oceanside. San Diego County, California USA 2003-10-09. This image was contributed to the San Diego County Bird Atlas. |
Date Taken: 2003:10:09 11:23 |
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Location:
Whelan Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD_3495LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Lindo Lake in Lakeside, California. San Diego County USA 2004-10-14. |
Date Taken: 2004:10:14 12:03 |
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Location:
Lindo Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/9.5, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD_1219LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-11-27 . |
Date Taken: 2009:11:26 16:06 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: Cut_JCD8185.LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-11-27 . |
Date Taken: 2009:11:26 16:06 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD8185.LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-11-26. |
Date Taken: 2009:11:26 16:01 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: JCD8167.LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Near the beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2010-12-10. |
Date Taken: 2010:12:10 10:06 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD6107_LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-billed Dowitcher(Pluvialis squatarola) |
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Description: Near the beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2010:12:10 10:03 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD6090_LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2010 Jack Daynes, www.shadetree-imaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 15:00 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/1 |
File Name: D3X4566-LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Tijuana River above the river mouth. Imperial Beach, California USA 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2009:04:18 8:13 |
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Location:
J-Street |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD5487.LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Tijuana River above the river mouth. Imperial Beach, California USA 2010-01-08. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:08 9:36 |
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Location:
Tijuana River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD5107.LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: These birds are shallow water foraging specialists. Poe Road. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2007-12-25. |
Date Taken: 2007:12:24 16:31 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD3040LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: These birds are shallow water foraging specialists. Poe Road. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2007-12-24. |
Date Taken: 2007:12:24 15:31 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: JCD2999LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: These birds are shallow water foraging specialists. Poe Road. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2007-12-24. |
Date Taken: 2007:12:24 15:26 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: JCD2986LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Near the Alamo River mouth at the Salton Sea. Imperial County, California USA 2008-11-23. |
Date Taken: 2008:11:23 9:51 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3000 |
File Name: jcd1689LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: (Limnodromus scolopaceus) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 15:02 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/2 |
File Name: D3X4569-LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Vendel Road is also known as Unit #1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. It occupies the agricultural and marsh lands at the southern tip of the Salton Sea near Westmorland in Imperial County. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:28 14:25 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/6400 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X6584-VendelRoad-SaltonSea |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Vendel Road is also known as Unit #1 of the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. It occupies the agricultural and marsh lands at the southern tip of the Salton Sea near Westmorland in Imperial County. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:28 13:56 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X6301-VendelRoad-SaltonSea |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Repositioning flight late one afternoon at Unit 1 (Vendel Road), Salton Sea NWR in Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:10 16:43 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X0080-VendelRoad |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Searching for food late one afternoon at Unit 1 (Vendel Road), Salton Sea NWR in Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:10 16:31 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X9928-VendelRoad |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 14:00 |
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Location:
Fondo |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X3653-LongBilledDowitcher |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada is comprised of nine ponds owned by the city's Waste Water Treatment Facility, but managed by nature lovers. It is the premiere birding location in southern Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:13 7:40 |
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Location:
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X2886-Henderson-BVP |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada is comprised of nine ponds owned by the city's Waste Water Treatment Facility, but managed by nature lovers. It is the premiere birding location in southern Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:13 7:40 |
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Location:
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X2880-Henderson-BVP |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: The "tiger pattern" on the on the tertials indicate the bird to the rear and left is a juvenile Short-Billed Dowitcher. Malheur NWR is in southeastern Oregon, west of Steens Mountains and south of Burns Oregon. Harney County. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:30 12:07 |
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Location:
Malheur NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X9036-MalheurNWR |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Distinguishing dowitcher species is a challenge. Because of the habitat, I chose to name these birds “Long-Billed”. It was a lovely day at the Gilbert Water Ranch. The weather was mild, and the winds were calm. Gilbert is in the Greater Phoenix area of Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:11 15:05 |
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Location:
Gilbert Water Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X9741-GilbertWaterRanch |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Distinguishing dowitcher species is a challenge. Because of the habitat, I chose to name this bird “Long-Billed”. It was a lovely day at the Gilbert Water Ranch. The weather was mild, and the winds were calm. Gilbert is in the Greater Phoenix area of Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:11 14:15 |
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Location:
Gilbert Water Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X9516-GilbertWaterRanch |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Distinguishing dowitcher species is a challenge. Because of the habitat, I chose to name these birds “Long-Billed”. It was a lovely day at the Gilbert Water Ranch. The weather was mild, and the winds were calm. Gilbert is in the Greater Phoenix area of Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2020:11:11 15:03 |
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Location:
Gilbert Water Ranch |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X9715-GilbertWaterRanch |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Repositioning flight late one afternoon at Unit 1 (Vendel Road). You may notice a couple avocets in the mix. Salton Sea NWR in Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:10 15:35 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X9545-VendelRoad |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Repositioning flight late one afternoon at Unit 1 (Vendel Road), Salton Sea NWR in Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:10 16:42 |
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Location:
Vendel Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X0056-VendelRoad |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: Dawn fly over at Unit 1 (Vendel Road), Salton Sea NWR in Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2017:01:16 14:51 |
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Location:
Fondo |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X2923 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Long-Billed Dowitcher(Limnodromus scolopaceus) |
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Description: The Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in Henderson Nevada is comprised of nine ponds owned by the city's Waste Water Treatment Facility, but managed by nature lovers. It is the premiere birding location in southern Nevada. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:13 7:40 |
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Location:
Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: LongBilledDowitcher_D5X2879-Henderson-BVP |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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