American Knots on San Diego Bay, California
American Knots on San Diego Bay, California
During March, 1939, Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, eminent English ornithologi$ was a visitor in San Diego where he collected a number of birds. He was making a particular study of mallophaga, in cooperation with Miss Theresa Clay of the British Museum. Among the birds taken were several American Knots (Calidris canutus rufus) , two of which, both females, he donated to the San Diego Society of Natural History. One (no. 18053, S.D.S.N.H.), taken on March 3, shows the first suggestion of breeding plumage on breast and back; the other (no. 18056, S.D.S.N.H.), taken on March 5, is in typical winter plumage. The birds were shot near the south end of San Diego Bay, where Colonel Meinertzhagen declared that there were “hundreds” of them, adding that the Knot is a species with which he is very familiar in the Old World. This estimate was supported by J. Elton Green, of the San Diego Society of Natural History, who was acting as field assistant. The twenty-eight Knots recorded from San Diego Bay by Huey (Condor, vol. 40, 1938, p. 90) and the occurrences reported here lead one to question whether the Knot may not be more abundant than is generally supposed; it possibly is overlooked on account of ita resemblance to certain other shore birds.
Clinton G. Abbott
San Diego Society of Natural History, Balboa Park, San Diego, California, July 21, 1939
