Yellowlegs --> Marsh Sandpiper (1 Viewer)

Last weekend we travelled north of Brisbane to see some of the migratory waders before they left Australia for the northern summer.

I had timed it for high tide so there were a good number roosting at Toorbul,
many of the Bar-tailed Godwits had their lovely, rusty breeding plumage. Also a good number of Great Knots, many of them getting quite dark at the front.

Then we moved on to Buckley's Hole at the southern end of Bribie Island where I saw a wader that had me stumped. Long, skinny, with bright yellow legs and a very spotty back. The back was like a Wood sandpiper but the leg colour and jizz was all wrong. My thoughts then turned to Lesser Yellowlegs, a North American species that is a rare vagrant here, but it had too much white in the front.

Then it stretched its wings and showed a very white rump and back and I realised that it was just a Marsh Sandpiper - going into breeding plumage.
I hadn't seen one like this before, I'm used to them having a fairly uniform grey back. Not a major rarity but good to see anyway.

The best bird of the day was a Red-kneed Dotterel, they usually turn up at the coast when its getting drier inland.

Pete

Sounds like a good time watching the waders and you seem to have solved your own mystery just out of curiosity how many records of lesser yellow legs do you get we normally get about 5-15 a year

Hi Tim

They would be even less reported from here, I'd guess less than one a year. They were in my mind because a friend (who is very good on wader id) had reported one from Fraser Island, further to the north, in spring last year.

Pete