Frampton marsh Sep 17 (1 Viewer)

[Mike Tom]

I think I have here 2 Dunlin, a ringed plover and a female moorhen. Hopefully correct and if so I feel I have improved in my identification of these waders. If not , then back to the drawing board !

Thank you

 

[SteveClifton]

How sure are you that 2 is a Dunlin? Have you considered other possibilities?

 

[Mike Tom]

How sure are you that 2 is a Dunlin? Have you considered other possibilities?

Of the other options my limited knowledge points to a sandpiper, with the longish dark bill and colouring. I felt the neck was too short for the green and the wood, although the speckled breast could be a wood sandpiper. The others I thought possible were the curlew sandpiper, but the bill does not seem to be bent, or possibly the pectoral as I think they are seen in the autumn.? The dark bill and not upturned rules out the green and redshanks

 

[SteveClifton]

Hard to be certain Mike, but looks like a juv Curlew Sand to me. Another picture or two might confirm with more certainty.

The others in post 1 are correct by the way, though the Moorhen is a young bird. As far as I'm aware males and females aren't easily separable.

 

[Mike Tom]

Hard to be certain Mike, but looks like a juv Curlew Sand to me. Another picture or two might confirm with more certainty.

The others in post 1 are correct by the way, though the Moorhen is a young bird. As far as I'm aware males and females aren't easily separable.

Thanks Steve, I have 3 more pictures, but I am not sure if they are the same bird as were not at exactly the same time

 

[SteveClifton]

Thanks Steve, I have 3 more pictures, but I am not sure if they are the same bird as were not at exactly the same time

All 3 show juv Dunlins (heavy spotting on belly and well-streaked breast). Your other bird looks very clean below with nice creamy wash on breast sides, with no obvious streaking. This is typical of juv C Sand. Also head looks quite grey with whitish supercilium- Dunlin usually has obvious buff tones to head.

 

[Mike Tom]

All 3 show juv Dunlins (heavy spotting on belly and well-streaked breast). Your other bird looks very clean below with nice creamy wash on breast sides, with no obvious streaking. This is typical of juv C Sand. Also head looks quite grey with whitish supercilium- Dunlin usually has obvious buff tones to head.

Thanks Steve, books can only show so much, you guys tell me a bit extra. In about 2 weeks I will have cleared all my pictures and I am now creating a word document of all of these bits of advise that have been given for the birds I have been told about. I have progressed enormously , but what I have learnt is that there is so much I still need to pick up, but my chains of thought are much better and as I now have less queries i am spending much more time researching , books and google.

 

[SteveClifton]

Thanks Steve, books can only show so much, you guys tell me a bit extra. In about 2 weeks I will have cleared all my pictures and I am now creating a word document of all of these bits of advise that have been given for the birds I have been told about. I have progressed enormously , but what I have learnt is that there is so much I still need to pick up, but my chains of thought are much better and as I now have less queries i am spending much more time researching , books and google.

Nice one Mike. Creating your own ID book isn't a bad idea, and I reckon soon after you've finished writing it all down you'll take for granted that you know all of that stuff by heart, and it will then become embedded in your 'database.'

The best advice is to get really familiar with the common birds, and all of their variations. Dunlin is a good place to start with the smaller waders...