• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Wader, Poland (1 Viewer)

michalb

Well-known member
Poland
Hi, I had a great day today watching waders, managed 5 species together in one photo :)
But this one (on the left on both photos of course) I cannot ID. Seems visibly larger than Calidris alpina, and the brow is very clear. What can it be?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Michał

Location: Beka Nature Reserve, Bay of Puck (Baltic Sea) coast in northern Poland
Date: 10.08.2020
 

Attachments

  • biegusBeka1.jpg
    biegusBeka1.jpg
    210.3 KB · Views: 127
  • biegusBeka2.jpg
    biegusBeka2.jpg
    181.7 KB · Views: 121
I mean the bird on the left in the second picture, the one on the right is a Redshank, yes :) Or do you think both are Redshanks?
 
Agree with Nutcracker on Common Redshank, the bird you were asking for is a 1 CY Curlew Sandpiper. It seems that the bill and legs are covered with mud, so the unusual appearance.
Curlew SP are slightly larger on average than Dunlins, but I think size illusion (i think first mentioned by the late Peter Grant in BB) plays a role here: birds in the background appear larger in telephoto-shots. Your bird is clearly smaller than the Redshank.
Apart from the bill, pattern and colours (for example the peach wash to the breast) are spot on for Curlew Sandpiper.
 
I mean the bird on the left in the second picture, the one on the right is a Redshank, yes :) Or do you think both are Redshanks?
Ooops! Sorry, looked at the wrong bird!

Agree now with juv Curlew Sandpiper for the left hand, but it is strange the way the bill looks straight (particularly in pic #1).
 
Yeah, the straight bill is the reason I haven't thought of C. ferruginea (there were two of them on site), and it seems that except this bill everything fits (well the bird is looking quite massive and "hunched", but this is probably only the pose that was caught in a picture).
I had some glitter of hope this would turn out to be some kind of rarity from Siberia or N. America, but seems a juv C. ferruginea it is then :)
Thanks all!
 
Agree with Nutcracker on Common Redshank, the bird you were asking for is a 1 CY Curlew Sandpiper. It seems that the bill and legs are covered with mud, so the unusual appearance.
Curlew SP are slightly larger on average than Dunlins, but I think size illusion (i think first mentioned by the late Peter Grant in BB) plays a role here: birds in the background appear larger in telephoto-shots. Your bird is clearly smaller than the Redshank.
Apart from the bill, pattern and colours (for example the peach wash to the breast) are spot on for Curlew Sandpiper.
Some time ago I bookmarked Peter Grant's size-illusion article. If anyone's interested, it's here.
 
I wonder if a hybrid Red Knot X Curlew Sandpiper has ever been recorded? This bird somehow reminds me of both species...
 
I wonder if a hybrid Red Knot X Curlew Sandpiper has ever been recorded? This bird somehow reminds me of both species.

Interesting thought, I still see a very good plumage for a 1CY Curlew Sandpiper, and dismissed the unusual bill as mud-covered, partly because the legs seem to have the same colour.

Looking at the pictures again and TRYING HARD, I find the PP on the short side for a Curlew SP. This might be due to photo angle and a foreshortening effect, but normally Curlew SP has slightly, but clearly longer wings, which the wingtips often crosses above the tail and are longer than the tail (evident when looking from behind). I found this most clearly evident on 1CY birds (reason?) and when clearly present, a good character against Dunlin.

Examples are here:
http://www.bio-foto.com/displayimage-1447.html
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=35631
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=65911
https://www.chclub300.ch/gallery/schweizgallery/index.php?show_img=22435&current_page=1
http://www.irishbirding.com/categories/sighting116180/33081_large.jpg

This can alltogether produce a clearly different rear than that of a Dunlin.
In this bird this jizz isnt there, maybe this (together with a hump-backed, broad-shouldered"-look, adds to the "plump-end" Knot-jizz, Roland?

But I still like the answer of a normal Curlew SP with mudcovered bill and legs (and the PP is clearly within variation for Curlew SP, especially when a foreshortening effect and a "single-picture-effect", concerning the hump-backed-look" is taking into account)

I hope my views are understandable!
 
Warning! This thread is more than 4 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top