Help with ID please

[Duncan McCaskill <>]

Thanks to everyone who responded.

 

I think Latham's Snipe is the most likely. I had in my mind that Latham's Snipe are larger than they really are because the first time I saw them years ago at JWNR they were larger than I expected (and perhaps they were next small birds), and that impression has stuck.

 

When I first saw the birds yesterday they were flying against a grey sky in the rain, and they looked greyish and small, but size and colour is hard to judge in those conditions. Later glimpses I got of them flying against a green grassy background they looked a bit bigger and much browner.

 

As for the calls, its possible that the calls I heard were not from the birds I saw. I heard the call again this morning, but saw no Snipe. Its possible the calls are chicks (maybe swamphen?) hidden in the reeds.

 

Duncan.