Wednesday 11 May 2016

Rhaslas



Another wet morning at Rhaslas; terns noted through dripping goggles as I walked across to the pool, they all appeared to be arctic [2], a single turnstone at the north west corner and 2 small waders that didn't seem right for sanderling but were difficult to get on to through the rain. Also noted were swift [2] my first for the year plus all the usual suspects, I also managed to get a few rubbish shots of the small waders. Cried off and finished my work returning to the pool at c15:00 hours. My first bird was a single dunlin on west point which quickly flew to the south east corner, when I scoped the bird I noticed the 2 small waders were close by, they appeared to be smaller than the dunlin?


The first image I took this morning, the primary projection appears to be too long for sanderling and the birds also appeared to be too small and the wrong shape but there was no other birds close to compare size. The second image again shows the longer wings and what appears to be a lighter V on the right bird and part of the V visible on the left bird. The third image clearly shows that both waders are smaller than the dunlin. The only small waders I'm aware of with black legs are little and red-necked stint; I think they are little stints but at this time of year I think we are too far to the west (but we have had a lot of east winds lately) what do you reckon, any offers? The redshank was sitting on the inner face of the south dam as I left to return to more bloody work, haven't had a drink for days, starting to look healthy.


3 comments:

  1. Little Stints have been seen at Goldcliffe already this year, so I do not think that we are too far west.

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  2. Look good for Little stint to me .

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  3. Thanks lads, since the spotted sand I'm double checking everything. Another example of when you eliminate all that it can't be whatever left is the answer, cheers.

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