Help need with Australian Waders 1 (1 Viewer)

[Greg McKay]

Hi all once again my confession I'm hopeless with waders.
SO I need help another couple of posts to follow.
#1 I think is a banded stilt possibly young with no banding
# 2 and 3 Lots of thoughts but to many to even make a suggestion I think the black shoulder band #3 might be the wind blowing against feathers
#4Red Necked Stints but is there possibly a little stint amongst them (just to the left of reeds) or a male still in breeding plumage
#5 if #4 is red necked stints then so are these.

 

[HH75]

1) No idea about stilts in Australia.
2) Marsh Sandpiper, due to the greenish-yellow legs and thin bill.
3) A Calidris, and the bill length and apparent structure would make me think it's a stint, most likely Red-necked on location.
4) A varied assemblage of waders! The smaller ones are Red-necked Stints, then there's a few Red Knot, the more patterned wader just left of the vegetation looks like a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and there seems to be a sleeping Great Knot in the top left of the image, due to the flank streaking (there may also be the head of a second, with a long bill, showing immediately left of the vegetation (surely mangrove branches, and not reeds) and above the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper).
5) Red-necked Stints.

 

[Southern Frogmouth]

#3 IMO is a plover/dotterel type, not a calidrid, it appears to have a white collar.

cheers

Roy

 

[HH75]

#3 IMO is a plover/dotterel type, not a calidrid, it appears to have a white collar.

cheers

Roy

What species likely would have a bill this (apparently) long and thin? I could buy it as a Kentish-type but for that bill, to be honest: the legs appear set well back on the body. The bill was the main pointer to a calidrid, for me.
Any more pics, no matter how bad, of this bird?

 

[Richard Prior]

I was thinking the same (replying here to TB), which would make it probably Red-capped Plover. But then, the beak looks rather thin for that species (unless it's camera angle), and would it be as grey-hued? If that black edged collar was not so pronounced it would look almost Sanderling-like. Don't you just love trying to id from one photo!!

 

[Southern Frogmouth]

I was thinking the same (replying here to TB), which would make it probably Red-capped Plover. But then, the beak looks rather thin for that species (unless it's camera angle), and would it be as grey-hued? If that black edged collar was not so pronounced it would look almost Sanderling-like. Don't you just love trying to id from one photo!!

I agree with both of you that on second thoughts a calidrid seems more likely as I can't reconcile this to any plover or dotterel either. More photos would be handy.

Cheers

Roy

 

[sicklebill]

Banded Stilt
Marsh Sand
Red-necked Stint with wind ruffling the nape feathers, colour of upperparts and bill just right
Red-necked Stints and sleeping Curlew Sandpipers
Red-necked Stints

 

[Larry Sweetland]

agree with the stilt being Banded Stilt.

pic 3 is very odd, especialy with the bill not looking plover-like to me. Are there any other shots of this bird? I'm wondering if we're seeing shadow of wind-blown feathers making the black area and/or the white patch reflecting weirdly here. The whole bird doesn't make sense.

ah, cross-post with Sickle bill

 

[Greg McKay]

The Knots Some more photos

I've tried to get better photos of the knots to help with Id and I'll get some more of the other bird soon.
Some red some great?

 

[Greg McKay]

I hope these help

1st photo is of Red Capped Plovers present at site
Others are of subject bird

 

[HH75]

1st photo is of Red Capped Plovers present at site
Others are of subject bird

Red-necked Stint, as it seemed at first. Some of the feathers are ruffled a bit, exposing darker bases.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Red-necked Stint, as it seemed at first. Some of the feathers are ruffled a bit, exposing darker bases.

yes, much clearer in these pics. And the front bird in the first pic in post 10 looks like a Red-necked Stint.

 

[Greg McKay]

Thankyou everyone for the help on my 4 posts of Australian Waders. Much appreciated

 

[petemorris]

Sicklebill is correct and there is also a Sharp-tailed Sanpiper in pic 4

 

[johnallcock]

As suggested by sicklebill, the birds in photo 4 appear to be Curlew Sands rather than knots. A dark leg is visible on at least one bird, and knots should be larger relative to the stints and Sharp-tailed.

 

[HH75]

Oops! Shows how long it has been since I've seen a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and also that I've never seen the species next to other Calidris. A quick Google search showing Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpipers together does suggest that at least some of the former would be more or less the same size, but shorter-legged. Maybe the sexual dimorphism with regard to size in the similar Pectoral Sandpiper gave me this false impression of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper being a larger bird, thinking of (presumed) male 'Pecs' that I have seen. Whatever, you are correct, the mystery birds are too small for Red Knot.
It does raise the question, however, of the bird with (apparent) fine flank streaking asleep near the top left-hand corner. If the streaking is real, and it seems to be, then perhaps east Asian Dunlin taxa share the propensity for flank streaking in winter plumage with North American birds? I can't see how a pure Curlew Sandpiper would have flank streaking, and this bird seems perhaps a tone darker grey above. A sleeping bird on the same level and further to the right seems similarly darker grey, perhaps.

 

[petemorris]

Harry, I'm not seeing your bird really. Are you sure that's not marks on the mud in front of a Curlew Sandpiper.

Pete

 

[HH75]

Pete,
From my previous post:
"It does raise the question, however, of the bird with (apparent) fine flank streaking asleep near the top left-hand corner. If the streaking is real..."

I allowed for that possibility, especially given how little of the bird is visible, and the fact that the apparently darker grey upperparts may be due to ambient light/the angle of the bird. I'd not say either way what it is with so little visible with any degree of certainty.

 

[Greg McKay]

Post 9 Photo 2 The larger bird in the centre top of the photo has a solid grey head and neck whilst the 2 other birds larger than the stints have a white breast going up to under the eye that the larger bird doesn't. I'm starting to get more confused the more I look at these photos

 

[Dimitris]

All the plain backed larger birds in the flock picture are the same size and all are curlew sands.