Re: FW: [canberrabirds] Shorebirds at Brou Lake NSW

[Sue Lashko <>]

I agree with Geoffrey and Phil about the first 2 photos.  Maree, can you send a full size 3rd photo to me , please - not to the chatline as it will exceed the 100mB limit.  I think it is a stint even though the bill looks a little long for a stint, but it could just be the angle.  Also it doesn't seem pale grey enough for a Sanderling and not enough white around the face.  Also it's hard to see the margins of the feathers - more white on edges  in Sanderling.  It's also a little known fact that Sanderlings have 3 toes and no hind toe and Bird 3 seems to have a hind toe on the foot that is out of the water.

As for photo 1 - plovers have chunky bills compared to sandpipers, stints and knots.  Stints are the smallest of the shorebirds, along with Red-capped Plovers.

re photo 2 - Red Knots are most common on the South Coast but you do find a few Great Knots amongst them at times.  The main distinguishing features of the Great Knot are its "barrel" chest, longer bill, slightly bigger size (but this is not always reliable as there is quite a size variation within a lot of shorebird species), and more and darker markings on the breast.  Also Red Knots are much more uniformly grey on the back.

It's great to have this discussion and those who come to the Shoalhaven Heads outing in Feb can put their newfound knowledge into practice.  Sign up now - just a few places left.

Sue

On 1 January 2017 at 22:16, Paul Gatenby <> wrote:

Hi Maree

I have the advantage of being to Lake Brou today with a telescope and of discussing birds and photos with colleagues from the Eurobodalla Natural History Society who had been there today or yesterday.

I think the first birds are Red-necked stints, the small birds between Godwits are Red Knots, they were much larger than Stints and the last very white bird is a Sanderling

Other birds there were Red-capped Plovers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Curlew Sandpipers and Ruddy Turnstones.

Regards

Paul A Gatenby AM
Professor Emeritus
ANU Medical School

---

From: Geoffrey Dabb <>
Sent: Sunday, 1 January 2017 7:51 PM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank">org.au
Subject: FW: FW: [canberrabirds] Shorebirds at Brou Lake NSW

 

Aha thank you Maree  -  well of course I shall defer to Sue, but all the smaller birds look like Red-necked Stints, a species that can appear teasingly unusual, depending on the setting and what it is with.   

 

From: Maree Philip [
Sent: Sunday, 1 January 2017 7:38 PM
To: Geoffrey Dabb; Sue Lashko
Cc: canberrabirds chatline
Subject: Re: FW: [canberrabirds] Shorebirds at Brou Lake NSW

 

My gestimate going on recent sitings on eBird as well as  bill length and size are:

 

Top photo

Greater sand plover

 

Middle photo

Great knot - similar size, bill length 

 

Bottom photo

 

possibly a Sanderling similar size bill shape and overall size.

 

Unfortunately I did not have a scope on hand.

 

Cheers

 

Maree

 

On Sun, 1 Jan 2017 at 7:17 pm, Sue Lashko <m("gmail.com","smlashko");" target="_blank">> wrote:

who would say to Maree - what do you think they are? and why? Start with size and bill length.

 

Sue

 

On 1 January 2017 at 19:09, Geoffrey Dabb <m("iinet.net.au","gdabb");" target="_blank">> wrote:

This is a time for … SHOREBIRDSBOOKLETPERSON ….  !!

 

From: Maree Philip [mailto:m("gmail.com","mimfilip007");" target="_blank">]
Sent: Sunday, 1 January 2017 6:36 PM
To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");" target="_blank"> org.au
Subject: [canberrabirds] Shorebirds at Brou Lake NSW

 

Hi,

 

ID assistance required

??

 

ID on smaller birds between bartailed godwits

??

 

Regards

 

 

Maree

 

 

--

Sent from Mimfilip on the run