Lesser Yellowlegs or ... (in flight), Cape May, NJ (1 Viewer)

[tom baxter]

I am happy to have caught this photo yesterday, after recently discussing Lesser Yellowlegs and their sometimes short legged flight appearance, here on another recent Bird Forum thread. This one has me leaning towards Lesser Yellowlegs due to the dark markings of the breast in contrast with the pale chin, but what is with that underwing pattern? If the dark breast wasnt there, I'd be calling it a Wilson's Phalarope due to the underwing pattern. I've looked at a lot of Lesser Yellowlegs flight photos and can't find a single other reference that looks like this one so far.

 

[SteveClifton]

Are you referring to the bottom bird?

 

[tom baxter]

Yes, sorry for not making that clear. The other birds are Lesser Yellowlegs

 

[lou salomon]

bottom bird looks like a Pectoral Sandpiper. Surely not a Lesser Yellowlegs with that contrasting and low reaching dark breast, short legs and white wing lines.

 

[tom baxter]

I could see that, but what about the pretty distinctly white chin?

 

[Butty]

A few do have a distinct white throat:

ML463863651 Pectoral Sandpiper Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML463863651; © Stephen Davies; North Slope, Alaska, United States

macaulaylibrary.org

ML364482311 Pectoral Sandpiper Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML364482311; © George Forsyth; Kings, Nova Scotia, Canada

macaulaylibrary.org

ML357471121 Pectoral Sandpiper Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML357471121; © Doug Gochfeld; Queens, New York, United States

macaulaylibrary.org