Missed the BB Sand, ID on Curlew Sand please? (1 Viewer)

pauliev69

Proud Smoggie

• Sep 1, 2004

• #1

Hoped to see the Buff-Breasted Sandpiper today at Blacktoft Sands but missed out, it was reported at 8.30 AM ( too late as usual! ) Looking for ID on the following pics, are these Curlew Sandpipers? if so would be a first this year for me, sorry about the quality, bit of a squeeze in the hides today! Thanks in advance

 

Attachments

• 
  CURLEWSANDSBF1.jpg

  92.8 KB · Views: 198
• 
  CURLEWSANDSBF2.jpg

  98.4 KB · Views: 197

H

HH75

Well-known member

• Sep 1, 2004

• #2

Hi Paul,
Yes, these are juvenile Curlew Sandpipers: the peachy wash to the breast and neat fringes to the mantle feathers/ scapulars/ coverts allow them to be aged, and also seperate them from other superficially similar species, as does the structure (bill and legs too long for Dunlin, though some other races of Dunlin can be similarly long-billed, as with hudsonicus in North America).
Harry

 

IanF

Moderator

• Sep 1, 2004

• #3

Nice catch Paul :t:

Sorry you missed the BBS but you had a cracking day weather wise.

Was there much else about?

 

D

David Bryant

Registered User

• Sep 1, 2004

• #4

Yep!
Curlew Sands!

 

pauliev69

Proud Smoggie

• Sep 1, 2004

• #5

Thanks Harry and David for the ID, hi Ian, yes it was a nice day weather wise. Plenty of Godwits and Snipe singles of Green Sand, Little Stint, Spotted Redshank and Greenshank, well worth the trip

 

intellectual

Well-known member

• Sep 6, 2004

• #6

pauliev69 said:

Hoped to see the Buff-Breasted Sandpiper today at Blacktoft Sands but missed out, it was reported at 8.30 AM ( too late as usual! ) Looking for ID on the following pics, are these Curlew Sandpipers? if so would be a first this year for me, sorry about the quality, bit of a squeeze in the hides today! Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

Hi Paul,

Correct me if I'm wrong, whoever reported the BBS would have to be a member of staff, unless opening times have changed. Blacktoft used to open at 9.00AM. So the birding fraternity would miss out if it only paid a fleeting visit.

I have had this out with the former assistant Warden asking why it isn't possible to get onto the reserve a lot earlier, say 6.30AM. He gave the reasons, rules are rules etc. TOSH.

Really pleased you had a great day out. I almost went on Saturday but thought it would be heaving, so went elsewhere.

Regards

 

J

John o'Sullivan

Well-known member

• Sep 16, 2004

• #7

One feature that I find helpful in picking out curlew sand at distance or unhelpful light conditions when you only have jizz to go on is that they appear long winged in comparison to dunlin. with a much more drawn out rear end.