IanF
Moderator
Many birds I struggle with but Waders I really struggle with !
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22480
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=22480
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Anyone able to help out Christian with this one ? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter IanF
- Start date
I started coming over all Groundhog Day with this, because hasn't this photo cropped up before. I seem to remember myself and various others saying it was a Greenshank! It was either this photo or a very similar looking one.
christineredgate
Winner of the Copeland Wildlife Photographer of th
Yes there was a similar one last week,and yes it does look like a Greenshank.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Deja vu!
Its the uniformity of the neck that bothered me... last time I meant to check if there was any way a Greater-Legs could look like this!
Its the uniformity of the neck that bothered me... last time I meant to check if there was any way a Greater-Legs could look like this!
M Cowming
Well-known member
When the pic began to download, I immediately guessed greenshank and I still think it is. That bill is almost certainly upturned and the legs appear "dark" rather than yellowlegs "yellow", although I do think the light is bad.
The one thing bothering me is the clear super! Immediately made me think of spotted redshank......it couldn't be,..... could it?
The one thing bothering me is the clear super! Immediately made me think of spotted redshank......it couldn't be,..... could it?
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Bluetail said:
Interesting Jason.... if it looks more like a Lesser Legs on jizz, as opposed to a Greater Legs...er doesn't that make it more likely to be a Marsh Sand! I think this is an intersring bird and I shall give it a thorouh once over once I have finished the index..... so sometime in 2006! My assumption is that it is Greenshank.. but by defualt rather than it actually looks like one!
Jane Turner
Well-known member
This is what I can see on this bird :
• The bill looks a little short for typical Greenshank at a little more than 1.5 x the head width. It is also a little too straight, with only the most imperceptable of upturns. That said it is quite thick tipped unlike Marsh Sand.
• There is an obvious supercilium and more obvious pre-ocular dark eyestripe. I’ve never seen Greenshank with a super and only a weak eyestripe. Marsh Sand often shows the super, but I don’t recall seeing the eyestripe. Lesser Yellowlegs does show the eyestripe and super and I have only seen one Greater-legs.. so help required.
• The head and neck, including the fore-neck is washed uniform grey. I’m sure streaks would be obvious. Winter plumage Greenshank shouldn’t have all the grey at the front of the neck…and I’d expect to see fine streaking – in summer the fore-neck could be marked – but with coarse streaks. Marsh Sandpiper tends to show unstreaked grey…but not on the fore neck. I’ve seen Winter Lesser-legs looking very like this.
• There are 5 or so feathers on the scapulars and wing covers that seem to be rather rounded dark feathers with uniform narrow edges. Summwe plumage Greenshank shows eathers like this – though I think they are normally a little more elongated. Marsh Sandpiper never has feathers like this. From memory Lesser Legs has barred scapulars in summer plumage and I believe Greater Legs has feathers as shown.
So tentatively….very tenatively, I’d like to pass this to our US contingents and ask them if there was any way this could be a Greater Yellowlegs.
I couldn't help myself. I think this deserves more attention!
• The bill looks a little short for typical Greenshank at a little more than 1.5 x the head width. It is also a little too straight, with only the most imperceptable of upturns. That said it is quite thick tipped unlike Marsh Sand.
• There is an obvious supercilium and more obvious pre-ocular dark eyestripe. I’ve never seen Greenshank with a super and only a weak eyestripe. Marsh Sand often shows the super, but I don’t recall seeing the eyestripe. Lesser Yellowlegs does show the eyestripe and super and I have only seen one Greater-legs.. so help required.
• The head and neck, including the fore-neck is washed uniform grey. I’m sure streaks would be obvious. Winter plumage Greenshank shouldn’t have all the grey at the front of the neck…and I’d expect to see fine streaking – in summer the fore-neck could be marked – but with coarse streaks. Marsh Sandpiper tends to show unstreaked grey…but not on the fore neck. I’ve seen Winter Lesser-legs looking very like this.
• There are 5 or so feathers on the scapulars and wing covers that seem to be rather rounded dark feathers with uniform narrow edges. Summwe plumage Greenshank shows eathers like this – though I think they are normally a little more elongated. Marsh Sandpiper never has feathers like this. From memory Lesser Legs has barred scapulars in summer plumage and I believe Greater Legs has feathers as shown.
So tentatively….very tenatively, I’d like to pass this to our US contingents and ask them if there was any way this could be a Greater Yellowlegs.
I couldn't help myself. I think this deserves more attention!
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Joern Lehmhus
Well-known member
I´d go for a funny greenshank, the proportions and Jizz thing wouldn´t fit for Marsh sand in my opinion:
1. Bill upturned
2. legs in marsh sand seem to be very long; can´t see this in that bird
No experience with yellowlegs though, but if this turned out to be a yellowlegs, itz should be greater...
But still convinced it´s greenshank.
1. Bill upturned
2. legs in marsh sand seem to be very long; can´t see this in that bird
No experience with yellowlegs though, but if this turned out to be a yellowlegs, itz should be greater...
But still convinced it´s greenshank.
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Been looking for images of Greater Yellowlegs - can't find one coming into summer plumage like this bird, but you can see how Greater Legs could fit the plumage. Looks like we are down to a choice of aberrant Grenshank or dull-legged Greater Legs. Though if you look at the bottom left pic in this collage of Greater Yellowlegs, the legs aren't that yellow!
Also a collection of Greenshank.
Also a collection of Greenshank.
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Christian Falk
Well-known member
Wow, there are so much interessting hints from you! Thank you very much!
This bird is very rare in the nature reserve of Duisburg. In August i will travel to Helgoland to see many seabird and others! Hope i can show you many pictures of them!
Kind regards
Chris
This bird is very rare in the nature reserve of Duisburg. In August i will travel to Helgoland to see many seabird and others! Hope i can show you many pictures of them!
Kind regards
Chris
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Christiani, I don't suppose you have any more photos of this bird do you?
Katy Penland
Well-known member
With the caveat that I've only seen a few Yellowlegs (lesser and greater, all in California, not Europe), all of them have had very bright yellow legs, which this bird doesn't have. When I first looked at it, its starkly contrasting dark wings (compared to the gray of the head and neck) doesn't fit with the Yellowlegs I've seen which are more uniformly colored in any plumage.
Was this bird recently photographed? I.e., so that it would be in breeding plumage? If so, the lack of dark spots or bars on the flank doesn't lend itself to either Yellowlegs.
All IMHO. I'd defer to Greenshank just by default (but I've never seen one of those at all so apologize for being less than helpful here).
Was this bird recently photographed? I.e., so that it would be in breeding plumage? If so, the lack of dark spots or bars on the flank doesn't lend itself to either Yellowlegs.
All IMHO. I'd defer to Greenshank just by default (but I've never seen one of those at all so apologize for being less than helpful here).
Christian Falk
Well-known member
@ Jane: That's right, no pictures with more details!
But if i see this bird a third time i will make a better photo!
Thank you for your help!
Chris
But if i see this bird a third time i will make a better photo!
Thank you for your help!
Chris
Jane Turner
Well-known member
any pictures at different angles perhaps?
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Jane Turner
Well-known member
Katy Penland
Well-known member
Well, you're half right. The light is "wrong" for being directly on the legs, but as you can see from the reflection on the water (from light bouncing from the water to the belly to the legs), this bird's legs are definitely bright yellow.Jane Turner said:
