Hi again,
With the sandplover, I agree that it is difficult to judge the size of
certain features fom the photo presented but the tip of the bill which
can be clearly seen doesn't appear to have enough of a bulge to it for
Greater. With the bill presented on the angle that it is the appearance
could be misleading, and then again, since much of the bill can be seen,
it would suggest that the bill length must be more than that from the
back of the eye to the base of the bill, which would suggest Greater.
Tarsus length suggests Greater in the photo but my intiial reaction was
Lesser (where is the thick-tipped bill ???)
P.
Paul Rose
Year 9 Purple Team
Department of Biology and Chemistry
Wesley College - Glen Waverley
620 High Street Road
Glen Waverley 3150
(03) 9881 5426
>>> Russell Woodford <> 10/10/03 01:46pm
>>>
Hi Chris
I must concur with Stuart Cooney on this one. Here's a link to a very
clear Kentish Plover photo:
http://www.rarebirdphotography.co.uk/cbkp.htm
A quick Google Image search will give you quite a few other Kentish
shots which show the white collar quite clearly. Similarly, a search
for red-capped should give you a few photos of birds very similar to
those you photographed so clearly in Cairns. great shots - I hope
they'll find their way online somewhere permanently!
The sandpiper looks like a sharpie to me too - that was my first
impression. It doesn't have the "spotty" looking plumage of a Wood
Sand and I think the eyebrow should be paler in front of the eye. The
rufous-chestnut feather margins also suggest a sharpie.
The sand plover could be either - it's a bit hard to guage leg and bill
size from this shot. The relative length of the tarsus suggests Greater
to me - but I don't have any reference books on hand to see whether
there's a discernible difference.
Someone from one of the wader study groups should be able to give us
more info.
Russell Woodford
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
