Hey shorebird experts,

I was outside at about 8 PM and two birds flying moderately fast from east to west caught my eye. First impression was Mourning Doves, based on speed, shape, and frequency and power of wing beats. As they flew directly overhead at about 50 ft, the wing shape immediately pushed me towards common nighthawk, but instead of the tell tale white stripes from the leading edge of the wing to the rear, there was a thin white stripe that was in the center section of the wing and made a V with the center of the V at the elbow portion of the wing.  The tail was thicker, about twice to three times as thick as a doves, and the head was medium sized and rounded with a fair amount of projection from the body. I could not see anything as far as the bill goes. The extremely long, slender wings, strong flight, and the underwing pattern struck me as a shorebird. 

They are clearing land for a new high school near my house, and there is quite a large retention center that is still a mix of mudflats and long grass. The birds both immediately dropped out of the sky into this area. I grabbed my scope and could not locate them. I ran out of.daylight but I am thinking of looking again in the morning. 

I have seen Willets in NC at close range a week ago, and these two birds were not as strikingly as marked, and with much, much less white. The underwing pattern on these two birds was like the white that is typically on the division of the greater coverts and the secondaries that is visible when shorebirds flush from the ground on the upper side of the wing. 

I am looking forward to the fall migration for shorebirds, but clearly I need to get better. 

Any direction would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks,

Chris Decker
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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