I had a nice drive up from the Gold Coast via Bribie Island to Stanford (Qld)
for the Painted Snipe (at least one male and female still present on Saturday
at lunchtime) and also flushed at least one Red-chested Button-quail at
Corcorans Rd Bryden on the way home.
However the reason for this email is to pose the question of whether anybody
else has seen a Pectoral Sandpiper at Kakadu Beach bird observatory on Bribie
Island recently.
The bird was present with the previously recorded Grey Plover, as well as
Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwits, lots of Red-necked Stints, and a large group of
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, which it was standing amongst.
I was with another experienced birder and were pretty sure of our ID using a
scope, however, when I mentioned it to another birder later that day he
appeared a little sceptical (and rightly so, as I would not consider myself to
be a wader expert by any stretch of the imagination) and quizzed me on what
diagnostics we used to distinguish it from the Sharpies.
The main diagnostics were:
the legs were a nice bright yellow colour,
it had a longer, slightly more downcurved bill,
there was a sharp demarcation line to the white on the belly (I know some
Sharpies cvan exhibit this during their moults),
it appeared taller than the surrounding Sharpies (again not a definite
diagnostic),
and most importantly, the colour of the upper and lower mandibles of the bill
were lighter at the base.
I am led to believe that a Pectoral Sandpiper has been recorded on Bribie Is.
previously so if any wader experts can confirm that there is another one at
Kakadu Beach for me it would help alay some of the doubts that are now starting
to creep in!
Oh, and with the Grey Plover and Painted Snipe I have finally passed the 600
Australian bird species milestone.
Cheers,
Carl
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