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2 Clearwater Florida Shorebirds, April 2011 (1 Viewer)

brianjtaylor1

New member
Spent about an hour on the Clearwater Memorial Causeway in Florida this sunday morning and found two shorebirds I can't seem to figure out. My search found the first is a Black-bellied Plover and the other is a Willet maybe? The willet bill is thicker in most pics though. I can't remember any flight info for either. Any idea? Thanks all, I'm new here.
 

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Welcome to the forum! Black-bellied Plover is correct for the first and the second looks good for Greater Yellowlegs.

Best,
Jim
 
1. Grey ( = black-bellied) plover.
2. Willet: too fat/solid-looking for greaterlegs; legs, errm, not yellow! ;-)
 
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Any more photos of bird 2? Bill appears too thin and pointed for Willet, as OP suggests, but it might just be the angle. Though eyering and dark lore also suggests yellowlegs.

Best,
Jim
 
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wow, you guys are quick. thanks...
I didn't notice yellow legs but there was a shadow. Maybe these help?
 

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My first impression was willet, but I too had a question due to the lack of heft of the bill. But, methinks that's what it is as from the follow-up photos there's no hint of yellow in the legs and the gray seems too uniform for yellowlegs... a skinny-billed willet!
 
wow, you guys are quick. thanks...
I didn't notice yellow legs but there was a shadow. Maybe these help?

1st new photo might not be the same bird--note also the lighting is different.

In any event, the bird in question in the original second photo looks to be a Frankenbird--the head of a Greater Yellowlegs and the body of a Willet. ;) The body is probably the more reliable mark with this quality of photo, so I'll go along with the Willet crowd at this stage.

Best,
Jim
 
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