Dowitcher Japan (1 Viewer)

I took this picture last week in Izumi, southern Kyushu, Japan (the crane place). Apart from the cranes, there was nothing interesting around, and I took this photo as a record shot, thinking this would be Dunlin. It was cloudy with bad light, and the birds were a long way away.

Looking at the photo (I have two but they are identical), the bill is way too long for Dunlin. I think they must be Dowitcher, presumably Long-billed (I have once seen a group which wintered in Central Japan quite a long way from this spot). If anyone can confirm or give an alternative ID, I'd be grateful. If anyone thinks it's Short-billed, then I'd be super-grateful! The legs seem to be yellowish, which rules out Asian.

Thanks for any help.

They are Dowitchers. Probably Long-billed but the photo is too poor to exclude Short-billed 100% I'd say

I suspect Long-billed but cannot prove it on this image.

cheers, alan

Thanks both of you. That was my 400mm lens at full power, so that's as good a photo as I could get. Long-billed are sometimes in Japan. Short-billed, which of course I've never seen, are much rarer but not completely absent. I thought there might be some way of telling them apart from the plumage.