Hi Ian
I am confident these are both first-year Red-necked Stints. My take on
it is that the legs are this colour because they are coated with mud.
The mud looks like the sort which might do that!
The patterns you can see on the scapulars are typical of juvenal RNS at
this time of year. See how the dark blobs tend to line up with those on
feathers of different rows to form a series of radiating streaks. It is
a very distinctive pattern, even when the feathers are this worn and
faded. Only this year did I learn that the same effect can be seen in
Semi-palmated Sandpiper, if it migrates longer than usual distances. I
think the degree of wear/fading you see here usually only happens after
a long migration, and is not generally seen on birds which stay in the
northern hemisphere.
First-year RNS at this time of year have often been a problem for
identification, because they tend to stand out amongst adults in various
ways. Most of their age group would have largely completed a moult which
would make them look just like adults, except in the hand.
A personal question - back in the late 70's I knew an Ian Smissen at
Melbourne University Zoology department. Are you that person?
Cheers, Chris.
On 11/24/2013 02:06 AM, Ian Smissen wrote:
A few weeks ago, I photographed two small waders at Mungalla Station
near Ingham in Qld. I initially thought one was a Red-necked Stint but
the other appeared to be smaller so I was mystified as to what it
might be. Closer examination of the images suggest that neither may be
Red-necked Stints. I've posted (admittedly very poor - sorry) images
taken from a long distance in late afternoon at:
http://smissen.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/wader-mystery-revisited.html
Any advice on what they might be would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Ian Smissen
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Chris Corben.
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