Show us your shorebirds (waders)

[offshorebirder]

That is a very difficult question to answer precisely.

 

Here is some great reading on the subject:

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=Mug1l_45OzMC&pg=PT11&lpg=PT11&dq=shorebird+definition&source=bl&ots=Cj6XYOQtNj&sig=qcwOWY4n2gB8MsmFonAaXgV9Mu0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2nue_vfrKAhUBPiYKHUajBZA4ChDoAQg1MAY#v=onepage&q=shorebird%20definition&f=false

[Geoff]

@@offshorebirder Good book that one. It's either in my bookshelf or lying on my desk when not in use.

[Geoff]

The past week I've been visiting my sister in Queensland. With some spare time I was able to do a bit of bird photography and also catch up with Dave ( theplainswanderer ). Slowly processing a few pics...

 

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

[Geoff]

Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

A very nervous species and hence difficult to approach.

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@Geoff

 

Enjoying your most recently uploaded images, both the oystercatcher and the curlew.

I'm definitely not at all a birder or an ornithologist, thus am frequently befuddled by basic issues which are commonplace to the more experienced.

Is Numenius madagascariensis also known by the English common name ‘Far Eastern Curlew’?

If so, I've observed and photographed it in both the Hong Kong Wetland Park (香港湿地公园) and in the World Wildlife Fund's Mai Po Marshes Reserve (米埔湿地).

It's a wary, skittish species when passing through Hong Kong on its way south, best observed from one of the superb hides maintained at the Hong Kong Wetland Park.

I had no idea that one of its southernmost points of call was Queensland. Glad to know that.

Wonder how it ever ended up with ‘madagascariensis’ as a species name when it makes its home far to the northeast of Madagascar...

Thank you for posting these fine images.

Tom K.

[Geoff]

~ @@Geoff

Is Numenius madagascariensis also known by the English common name ‘Far Eastern Curlew’?

If so, I've observed and photographed it in both the Hong Kong Wetland Park (香港湿地公园) and in the World Wildlife Fund's Mai Po Marshes Reserve (米埔湿地).

It's a wary, skittish species when passing through Hong Kong on its way south, best observed from one of the superb hides maintained at the Hong Kong Wetland Park.

I had no idea that one of its southernmost points of call was Queensland. Glad to know that.

Wonder how it ever ended up with ‘madagascariensis’ as a species name when it makes its home far to the northeast of Madagascar...

 

Yes, @@Tom Kellie It is a Far Eastern Curlew. Its binomial name has me beat too.

 

It flies further than Queensland. I see a few specimens in Victoria which is 2000 kilometres further south. Apparently it breeds in parts of Siberia, Mongolia & Manchuria with the majority of the population then migrating to Australia with lesser numbers migrating to New Zealand, Korea & Taiwan.

 

Though south-east Queensland is the major stronghold with 1/4 of the world population migrating there in the non breeding season. It is considered Critically Endangered in Australia

[TonyQ]

@@offshorebirder

Thank you - that link is very helpful. And it includes some species that I wouldn't have thought belonged as shorebirds. Interesting reading on the evolution.

[theplainswanderer]

Enjoying the discussion here.

 

Shorebirds take in a broad range of 13 different families of birds. One of those is the Stone-curlews amongst the largest of all shorebirds and quite different to the more well known sandpipers, plovers etc.

 

Here in Australia we have two types of Stone-curlew 1. Bush Stone-curlew 2. Beach Stone-curlew.

 

Pictured here are a number of images of the Beach Stone-curlew which is principally found on quite back beaches and estuaries in Northern Australia.

 

Quite a strange looking bird and not a super common species, so always like finding them. These all photographed at Inskip Point near Fraser Island in Queensland

 

Cheers

 

David Taylor

 

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@theplainswanderer

 

Yet another group of birds about which I've never heard.

This thread is both aesthetically pleasing and highly informative to amateurs like yours truly.

That second image caught my attention, with the hapless crab's pincers clearly discernible.

Great photography — thank you!

Tom K.

[theplainswanderer]

The past week I've been visiting my sister in Queensland. With some spare time I was able to do a bit of bird photography and also catch up with Dave ( theplainswanderer ). Slowly processing a few pics...

 

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

#130_GG_8528.jpg

#130_GG_8353.jpg

That first oystercatcher image is a very one sided affair Geoff - one leg and one eye !!! HaHa!!!

[offshorebirder]

@@Geoff - Love the Curlew photos. Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) are my favorite shorebird and I would dearly love to see Eurasia's version...

 

@@theplainswanderer - yes some very nonstandard "shorebirds" get included in the group - Pratincoles, Diademed Sandpiper-Plover, etc. Your Stone-Curlew photos are excellent!

[Geoff]

Sooty Oystercatchers (Haematopus fuliginosus)

This species is uncommon where I live and usually skittish, yet this individual allowed a fairly close approach as it happily foraged. The way they can easily prise shellfish off rocks never ceases to amaze me.

[offshorebirder]

@@Geoff - thanks for the Oystercatcher photos. The one with the food item is choice!

 

They look like Black Oystercatchers over here - our Pacific Cast variety.

[offshorebirder]

A couple of more recent Kenya images:

 

A Wattled Lapwing from Mara Naboisho conservancy:

 

A better Wood Sandpiper image than the previous one; this one in Mara North Conservancy:

 

Edited February 23, 2016 by offshorebirder

[Geoff]

The Sooty Oystercatcher from post #162. This image captured a few days ago.

Double-banded Plover. After breeding in New Zealand the first individuals of this species have started arriving back in Australia over the past few days.

[offshorebirder]

Here are a few more shorebird images from my recent Kenya safari. It was difficult to get close to the shorebirds for good photos - it seemed like I was almost always confined to a vehicle during shorebird encounters...

 

Somali Courser, Buffalo Springs National Reserve

Spur-winged Lapwing, Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara National Reserve

African Jacana, Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara National Reserve

Long-toed Lapwing, Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara National Reserve

 

Wattled Lapwing scolding a Cheetah while circling overhead, Mara North Conservancy

Wood Sandpiper, Mara North Conservancy

Green Sandpiper, Mara North Conservancy

[theplainswanderer]

Shorebirds from New Zealand

 

On a trip to New Zealand a few years back I managed just a few shorebird images

 

Images 1-5 - New Zealnd Dotterel - endemic and endangered NZ shorebird - mainly found in far north and a small population on Stewart Island at the bottom of the South Island. These images taken at Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, North Island of New Zrealand

 

Images 6-8 - Double-banded Dotterel - this bird does a trans Tasman migration between New Zealand and Australia - breeds in New Zealand and spend the winter months in south-eastern Australia. These images taken at Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, North Island of New Zrealand

 

Image 9-11 - Wrybill - another endemic NZ shorebird. Unique in the bird world its bill is bent sideways. Images taken at Miranda, Firth of Thames, North Island of New Zealand and Kerikeri, Bay of Islands. Unique in the bird world for a bill that is bent sideways ( always to the right) None of my few images really show the bill well though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

David Taylor

 

 

[theplainswanderer]

Here are a few more shorebird images from my recent Kenya safari. It was difficult to get close to the shorebirds for good photos - it seemed like I was almost always confined to a vehicle during shorebird encounters...

 

Somali Courser, Buffalo Springs National Reserve

Spur-winged Lapwing, Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara National Reserve

African Jacana, Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara National Reserve

Long-toed Lapwing, Musiara Marsh, Masai Mara National Reserve

 

Wattled Lapwing scolding a Cheetah while circling overhead, Mara North Conservancy

Wood Sandpiper, Mara North Conservancy

Green Sandpiper, Mara North Conservancy

Edited March 10, 2016 by theplainswanderer

[theplainswanderer]

Some nice species there - love the Wood and Green Sandpipers! We get the Wood here in Australia and I think a handful of records of the Green Sandpiper - great stuff ! Cheers David Taylor

[offshorebirder]

Thanks @@theplainswanderer. Neat to know that Green Sandpipers sometimes occur in Australia. Question: do y'all ever get Solitary Sandpipers?

 

 

Thanks also Dave for your New Zealand shorebird photos. Great detail on the New Zealand Dotterel - one can even see the orange patch at the base of the lower mandible. A couple of your photos also show the rusty-orange belly of breeding plumage starting to develop. I would dearly love to see that species in full alternate plumage one day!

 

Also an especially nice feeding photo of the Wrybill about to do a sideways swipe through the water.

[theplainswanderer]

Hi Nathan

 

I dont recall Solitary Sandpiper ever being recorded in Australia but it is possible a very rare vagrant or two may have. Australia is really well represented with shorebirds and of recent years a number of rare stragglers have been recorded - Australias a big place though so unless they are close to home I tend not to chase them.

 

Yes the NZ Dotterel is a very sweet little bird and I was fortunate to get one given limited opportunity. New Zealnd is a wonderful country to visit - amazing scenery - they call it the world in miniature..... birding is good but by no means great.... sadly many of the endemic birds are either gone or restricted to off shore islands. And there is a very high population of feral species sadly introduced from Britain, Australia etc.

 

They do have some very special species though such as the Kakapo, Kea and of course the Kiwi to name a few. Have you been to NZ or Australia?

 

cheers

 

David Taylor

Edited March 11, 2016 by theplainswanderer

[theplainswanderer]

Nathan

 

Realise not a shorebird but thought Id sneak these on given the discussion on NZ birds ... without a doubt the night we saw these birds at Kerikeri is right up there as amongst my absolute greatest birding moments! We were taken to a site and saw a number of North Island Brown Kiwi's - it was incredible! My wife who is basically a non birder was also thrilled with the experience!

 

cheers!

 

[offshorebirder]

Here are a couple of shorebirds I saw day before yesterday during field work at the Yawkey Wildlife Center in South Carolina. I had 21 shorebird species for the day, many thousands of individuals, and rare ones like Upland Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover, and Wilson's Phalarope.

 

 

Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) - a species I have been trying to photograph well for years, with limited results. They are very similar to the old-world Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus).

 

 

 

 

 

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

 

Edited April 25, 2016 by offshorebirder

[offshorebirder]

During the course of field work both days this past weekend, I did a little wildlife photography. Here are some shorebird photos.

 

Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)

 

Here is a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius). It was patrolling the edge of a canal that encircled a drained ricefield. Suddenly it darted down to the water and grabbed a small minnow, then raced uphill and away from the water to consume it. Presumably the Spotted Sandpiper moved because it did not want to risk the minnow flopping back into the water when the sandpiper put it down, adjusted the minnow's orientation, etc. After reviewing several photos, I suspect the minnow may be a juvenile Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) but I am not certain of this.

 

Here is a Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) sitting on its nest in a corner of a drained ricefield. I guess it is becoming an annual tradition to post a photo of nesting Black-necked Stilts to this thread. Pardon the pesky reed - I was unable to avoid it, since I was on a raised dike across a canal from the ricefield.

 

Here is a Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla). You can see it lifting a semipalmated (semi-webbed) foot.

 

Here is the same bird beginning to extract a Polychaete worm from the mud

 

 

Here is a Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) dashing down the shoreline - it was being pursued by another (very aggressive) Semipalmated Plover.

 

Edited May 3, 2016 by offshorebirder

[Peter Connan]

Great photos as usual Nathan!