Stints (1 Viewer)

[dougywright]

May I ask that someone id's these? The pic is not great - sorry. The stints had a fair amount of dark plumage on the tails leading me to believe they are little stints - not temminks.

 

[postcardcv]

The breast band and pale legs both point to Temminck's...

 

[Dave Hall]

Hi They look good for Temminck's Stints

 

[bitterntwisted]

Apart from the size comparison with Dunlin, what stops the RH bird at least being a Common Sand? Just taking the rule out commonest species first approach. OK, the Dunlin looks quite a bit bigger, but a big Dunlin is bigger than a small Common Sand, and posture, fluffing feathers etc. could exaggerate?

Graham

 

[Phil Carter]

RH bird certainly looks like Common Sand.

Phil

 

[gerdwichers8]

..it does; long bill and longer legs favour it with some plumagefeatures.
It's a matter of optical illusion.

 

[lou salomon]

yupp, head shape, longish and not bend legs as well with the conspicous white corner between dark breast and wing all says actitis hypoleucos. pics shot with a great focal distance (strong tele) often produce this paradox optical illusion: the rear birds appear bigger than the front ones even if they are not.

 

[GMS]

Right-hand bird is Common Sandpiper, Dunlin in the background.
The bird on the left might be Common Sand as well, certainly don't think it#s temmink's.

 

[dougywright]

Thanks for your comments people - I think the poor quaility of the shot and lack of description on my behalf has caused some confusion. The two smaller birds are definetly stints - they were far too small to be common sands (approx half the size of the Dunlin), did not call like a comm sand and had much more white in the tale...they were also much paler and had very faint white wing bars. Furthermore the stints did not bob like a common sand. I have also seen hundreds of common sands. I should get a better camera - thanks guys! I am happy that they are Temmincks Stint. Oh and I saw them in Crete.

 

[Fair Islander]

I have also seen hundreds of common sands. I should get a better camera - thanks guys! I am happy that they are Temmincks Stint.

I wouldn't be happy if I were you because the right hand bird is definetly a Common Sand, as has been suggested by people above!!!

 

[Birdspotter]

I would also go with Common Sandpiper,I also suspect the left hand bird is one too although the angle of the bird with its head out of shot makes that just a strong suspicion,oh and there's also a Dunlin in the shot.
But if you still wish to go with Temmink's that's your choice.

 

[Birdspotter]

Thanks for your comments people - I think the poor quaility of the shot and lack of description on my behalf has caused some confusion. The two smaller birds are definetly stints - they were far too small to be common sands (approx half the size of the Dunlin), did not call like a comm sand and had much more white in the tale... I am happy that they are Temmincks Stint. Oh and I saw them in Crete.

I thnk you are confusing yourself rather than other people as in your original post you mentioned that you thought the birds had a lot of dark in the tail so believed they were Little Stint's, yet in your last post you mention that they had much more white in the tail than Common Sandpiper and that you are now happy they are Temmink's.

 

[nickderry]

Can't see the bird being a Temminck's stint, only Common Sandpiper. The shape is all wrong for Temminck's.

 

[Steve Waite]

Bill on the right hand bird is about 100% too long for a Temmick's! Needs to be at least half the size of the bill on show....which is a Common Sands bill.

 

[Ghostly Vision]

Thanks for being the first to point out bill length, Steve.

No Temminck's stint ever had a bill that length.

The size of the Dunlin looks wrong in the photo because of "size illusion", a well-known optical illusion that makes birds behind look bigger than they are in real life. I never understood why, but it is certainly the case.

Sean

 

[dougywright]

Humble pIe for me!

Humble Pie time - in large quatities - for me! I was chatting about this with a friend and started looking through my photos and have found another photo of just the right hand bird (a common sand) and the dunlin (see below). I apologise for asking for your advice and then doubting it. I had been looking at two stints (that had been together) for days and was trying to capture them on me camera - I reckon the sandpiper snuck in! I have added another photo which I believe (and am hoping) that you will tell me is a Stint! Once again thanks for your help!

 

[Steve Waite]

That's more like it..... Bit hard to tell, but if I'm right in saying that that is a Dunlin in the far top right hand corner (and not a Pec!) of the first real stint-thing pic then I'd say it is too big for a stint....and it looks pale....Sanderling? Or maybe I've got it all messed up and its a Marsh Sand!!!!!!!

 

[Frenchy]

In the third picture, looks like you have got a Temminck's Stint and a Little Ringed Plover, but i'm not going anywhere near the 2nd picture (although there does seem to be a white outertail gleaming on the near bird)!