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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

wader confirmation please (1 Viewer)

Woody

Well-known member
Hi all,

At Oare marshes on sunday I spotted this guy having a snooze. I thought greenshank (as Robin will know!) but I'm a wader beginner so I looked it up at home. I still think greenshank but what bothered me slightly was the brown appearance. I'm assuming this means that this is a juvenile, but I'd appreciate a confirmation. Thanks in advance. Sorry about the pic quality, it was pretty windy and the bird was quite a way away.

Woody
 

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Hi Woody,
This is indeed a Greenshank,but a summer adult,with the plumage being a bit worn by now(as is typical for adult waders at this time of year).In most migrant waders,adults migrate south before juveniles,and certainly the majority of the waders that I've seen recently are adult birds(juvs limited to a Ringed Plover that was probably locally bred at the site at which I had it).A juvenile would be altogether more 'pristine',with fresh feathers(which is logical,as these have only just been attained,whereas adult birds will have been in breeding plumage for a few months).
Hope this helps?
Harry
 
Thanks chaps.

It's nice to know I got it mostly right!
In one of my books it does say that juveniles will have a 'neat' pattern but unless you actually see what the book's on about things like that are a bit vague. I'll try to start noting details like feather condition, another lesson learned!

Cheers
Woody
 
robinm said:
Glad it was a greenshank - didn't see it myself. How did your whimbrel photos come out?

Terrible!

BUT good enough for me to say I got one! Thanks for that Robin. Once you see these things for real it sure makes future ID easier.

Woody
 

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Sorry Mike that's the curlew that the whimbrel flew near to when it went over to the landing stage.

The first bird I indicated on the shoreline was a whimbrel - the shorter bill and obvious crown stripe confirm that.

Oh dear !
 
Dan drough said:
Isn't it early for Whimbrel to be heading south to Africa?
Yes it is, but there have been reports of whimbrel in several locations in Kent over the past few days. Whimbrel have been at Oare since about 5th July.
 
The first Whimbrels are heading south only a week or two after the last ones heading north - sometimes, they probably overlap, but it isn't easy to tell.

The last northbound will be birds going to breed in Arctic Russia (where the tundra doesn't thaw until mid June), while the first southbound will be failed breeders from southerly breeding populations (Shetland, Iceland, southern Scandinavia)

Then there's a few immature (one year old) non-breeding birds that will stop in Britain all summer, just to keep you on your toes . . . (most of the one-year old birds remain on the winter range in Africa though)

Michael
 
robinm said:
Sorry Mike that's the curlew that the whimbrel flew near to when it went over to the landing stage.

The first bird I indicated on the shoreline was a whimbrel - the shorter bill and obvious crown stripe confirm that.

Oh dear !
They must have done a swap behind the grass like magicians assistants!
I'll look closer next time...:h?:

Woody
 
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