Greetings,
I would like some guidance as to what are reliable field marks for sorting
snipe, Latham's and Swinhoe's.
It has been suggested that the snipe at Hasties Swamp on the Atherton
Tableland at this time of year are Swinhoe's rather than Latham's. The three
birds I watched today varied greatly in colour with the lightest and darkest
birds feeding and preening together for the hour or so they were observed.
These two birds were very close and viewed through a scope in good light.
There was some but not huge variation in colour patterns of colour on the
back and wing. The pattern on the uppertail coverts of both birds most
resembled the course pattern illustrated by Hayman et al "Shorebirds" p.173
but the outer tail feathers were not as strongly marked as the illustration.
The paler bird had legs which were more yellow than the other. The third
bird was too distant to make much of a judgement.
Regards,
Alan Gillanders
Alan's Wildlife Tours
2 Mather Road
Yungaburra 4884
Australia
Phone (07) 4095 3784
Int + 61 7 4095 3784
www.alanswildlifetours.com.au
On the beautiful Atherton Tablelands
145* 33' 25"E 17* 16' 40"S
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