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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John o'Sullivan" data-source="post: 1200209" data-attributes="member: 6170">I know from personal and annecdotal experience that Little stints (as a peep example) can change shape, size and colouration quite dramatically depending on weather conditions and how sleek/fluffed up they are "holding" their feathers. A few times at Goldcliff (Wales) birds have been initialy I.D. on Jizz (viewing conditions are often straight into the sun) as Bairds due to them appearing bigger, longer winged, more attenuated etc than little stint typically appear. The birds then adjust their position and they become bog standard little stints.At least twice this has happened with extended views by experienced observers of birds on which plumage details cannot be seen (even though the birds are relatively close). It would appear that the same has happened with the sandpipers above.Luckily with the birds above plumage details can be seen and therefore despite the apparent size illusion both in photos and real life the agreement is the birds have to be Least sand.The photos might also reflect a difference in appearence due to posture and size illusion as a photographic artifact.</blockquote>