Shorebird ID Please!

[moratorian]

Shorebirds drive me nuts  :?   I have tentatively identified this bird as a Least Sandpiper or a Baird's Sandpiper (unlikely) or a ?. Photographed at Ward's Island on Tuesday. Behavioral note: occasionally one of the birds would briefly sit down. I hadn't seen that before in a shorebird.

http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Mardu ... orebirda_1

[Joe]

I'm thinking Least Sandpiper.

[Kin Lau]

I see yellowish-green legs on the one in the front, so Least Sp sounds good to me. It's hard to see if rear bird has yellowish-green or greyish-black - which would indicate Semi-palmated.

[Brian Bailey]

I'm not sure, but it looks like a Least in the foreground and a Semi-palmated in the background.

The one in the background appears to have darker legs and a stouter, straighter bill.

BB

[moratorian]

Thanks. There were 4 birds. They looked the same and seemed to act as a group. Here's two more pictures of the birds.

http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Mardu ... orebirda_2
http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Mardu ... orebirda_3

[Kin Lau]

On Monday, we had about 30 peeps on the mudflats at Pringles Creeks/Brock St Bridge in Whitby, and they were a mixed flock of Least & Semi-Palmated SP's as well.

Those last two look like Least as well... at least the legs look green.

[Andreas Jonsson]

The latter two photos show Least sp. too. Thin bill, yellow/green legs and overall brownish plumage.

--Andreas

[Mr.Tubby]

Hi Moratorian,

I tried to view some of your shorebird fotos but seems that they may have been taken down. Anyway, I was re-directed to a site that may have the pictures in question. Suffice to say that the 3rd picture showing three birds is indeed of (clockwise from top left) a Sanderling, a Least Sandpiper, and a Baird's Sandpiper. Excellent picture! The Baird's shows the primary projection really well. If I'm looking at the wrong foto then I apologise for perhaps IDing birds that you had already ID'd.

All the best

[Andreas Jonsson]

Welcome to the forum Tubby!

The photo of the triplet of shorebirds that you referred to is a different one, taken some weekends back on Toronto Island. Glad you like it! Not sure where moratorian's photos have gone.

--Andreas

[moratorian]

Sorry. What happened is that I changed the name of the album. Here is the new link.

http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Mikes ... orebirda_1
http://outdoorontario.net/Gallery/Mikes ... orebirda_3