canberrabirds

Help needed!

To: <>
Subject: Help needed!
From: "Geoffrey Dabb" <>
Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2013 21:53:47 +1100

David  -  the large ‘bulgy’ eye, black shortish bill, eyebrow, and habitat suggest  golden plovers   g

 

From: David Rosalky
Sent: Tuesday, 31 December 2013 6:15 PM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
Subject: [canberrabirds] Help needed!

 

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

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