I have a mystery of identification – not a mystery bird,
simply hopeless skills at IDing waders.
I am at the Moruya River, north bank, where the road crosses
a bridge separating the river from a large lagoon. There is a stretch of
swampy grassland where herons, ibises and other common such birds are seen
(including today a White-necked Heron).
But today, moving around and feeding in the grassland were
seven waders of one species which have me stumped. The characteristics
include:
·
Generally sandy or light
brown colour on head, neck and breast with black-centred feathers on back and
wings
·
Black, straight bill a bit
shorter than the head
·
Large black
eyes
·
Prominent white eyebrow
which, for some birds, seemed to curl around behind the eye almost to the
neck
·
Front on, the eyes seemed to
bulge with prominent white ridges above
·
Indistinct white patch of
plumage around base of bill
·
Lightly streaked breast
giving way to light-coloured belly
·
Crown was light brown,
slightly ruddy, for most birds but one was clearly more strongly marked and had
the suggestion of dark streaking on the crown
·
Legs were, I think, a light
colour rather than black (all the birds were walking in grass up to their
flanks, so it was hard to see the legs)
·
Hard to guess the length,
but my best shot is about 20cm
·
No calling.
I tried to convince myself that they were Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers, but the birds were all clearly a slightly ruddy light brown, perhaps
tan, rather than grey.
Ideas?
David Rosalky
