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Hello everyone,

After our fifth bird it is George on top of the table with a full fiver, but I think we may be able to catch him here! There is a point in identifying every species in this photo, and the rarest bird (for New Zealand) is worth two points if it comes with good notes on identification. Field sketches may also be worth a few points if you give it a crack!

So this is another of Ian's birds, and it is taken from Kidd's Shellbank in the Manukau Harbour, and I am giving you the real location this time because it doesn't really make a huge difference.
Good luck!


Michael

~35 odd Red(lesser) knots --- featuring their variable plumages.
1 Bar-tailed godwit --- (barred flank, biggest wader pictured)
1 Great knot --- (bigger than other knots, longer bill)
1 Curlew sandpiper --- (bigger than Red-necked stint, long, down curved bill)

Ok Capt. Michael - I am going to take an educated guess and say 4 species - Lesser Knot, Barwit, Curlew Sandpiper annnd a Great Knot.
So, seeing the rarest of those would be the GK (assuming it is one), my notes follow: A rather stocky wader, similer to Lesser Knots, but not quite there. It has a finely streaked grey crown, eyebrow not quite as distinct as an LK but still there, it's bill is slightly heavier and longer than a LK. Head & Upperparts are a slate grey colour. The feathers on the back have a paler edge than LK. Brest band is larger and more distinct than all LKs in this image, as are the flank feathers (also slightly arrowhead shaped).
The Curlew Sand only gets a brief description - The much smaller size, the long and downcurved bill, the light breast band then nothing below it, the light supercillium and the washed grey crown - all point to Curlew Sand.

Also I took the time and effort to do a field sketch of the GK

Great Knot!

Larger than a knot by about 10-20% with slightly darker head and larger thicker bill, as well as more flecking on the breast and flanks.

Also of note is the gorgeous little curlew sandpiper off to the right as well as the rear-end of a Barwit.

Well, George took seven points, and David and Oscar trial on four. Come on guys! Knock him of his high horse!

Anywho, thought I'd break it down. The reasons this is a Great Knot, and the two things necessary for the bonus point for notes were the large, thick bill and large flank and breast spots. There are other things too, like large size, hazier eye-stripe and more distinct feather edges on the wing that clinch the I.D.

There are four species in the image, a Bar-Tailed Godwit in the top right, the Curlew Sandpiper (who is a curlew sandpiper due to the light grey back and more indistinct supercilium) in the bottom right, the Red Knots who are basically everywhere, and the Great Knot, which has been pointed out by Oscar in his image above.

The field sketch needed good notes surrounding it, and some indication of patterns and colours (colour meaning the difference of light and dark, not just blue and red). George got both of these, but I'll be coming down harder in the future on tidiness of layout, as some of his notes jumbling together. It makes it easier to read and more understandable if it does.

Cheers,
Michael