These next birds are very common inhabitants of Burnaby Lake. According to allaboutbirds.org this is their migratory home, however according to my picture archive (only about 3 years worth) the only gaps I have where I have NOT seen them are in the months of June and July. I’m pretty sure that this is a Dowitcher, although I’ve been known to mistake a Yellowlegs for a Dowitcher before ~ lol! The Dowitcher is a little stockier than the Yellowlegs and the bill looks longer as well.
I’m going on a bit of limb though as the Short-billed Dowitcher is VERY similar to the Long-billed Dowitcher. I read somewhere that said the difference between them is that the long-billed’s bill is about 2x the size of it’s head while the short-billed beak is about 1.5x the size. However in other articles I have read that there is quite a crossover between the species. The only other tool I’ve used in my defense is to refer to e-bird to compare against what other birders have seen in the area, which lead me to the Long-billed conclusion. As well, one article I read said that if it’s in fresh water then it’s a 99% chance it’s Long-billed.
OTHER POSTS FEATURING THE LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER:
Long-billed Dowitcher [Limnodromus scolopaceus] ~ #44
BCSONGBIRD 