Not to extend this, but my previous post provides the primary references on subspecies identification that Derek may wish to include in his write-up. Yes, sorry for the mix up, but those should straighten it out. I was typing from the road.
An interesting bird for sure. Based on the photos Derek has posted, this bird's bill looks way beyond anything one might expect from a Greenland bird, even considering a long-billed female. Moreover, the fifth photo down where the bird is looking skyward, one can see that the lower scapulars show a deep reddish color. The Greenland birds show gold and auburn in the scapulars, and the color on the Scarborough bird seems even too dark and red for the European birds. A couple photos show the Scarborough bird with Semipalmated Sandpiper in the same field, and the size suggests a bird too large for one of the Old World taxa. It is odd that this bird appears to be quite gray in the breast and head, almost like basic plumage. The primaries are clearly faded and worn, appearing tawny below the tertials.
The photos don't help with the flanks and undertail; so separating this from a vagrant Alaskan bird would be hard, even if we could trust what we see there.
Louis Bevier
Fairfield
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