BirdingNZ.net

1. Pacific Golden Plover
2. Gull-Billed Tern
3. Bar-Tailed Godwit
4. Black-Tailed Godwit
5. Eastern Curlew
6. Greater Sandplover
7. Great Knot
8. Asiatic Dowitcher

AND (added after): a relatively smooth-backed knot just below and slightly to the left of centre which could be a lesser but I'm nowhere near confident enough to tell. Oscar and I have both noted its differences. We also agree on the species count

Hmmm, you have got me on the dowitcher - might explain why I have never been able to find one.
But what should we do with the greater sandplover (s?)?

Great to see the keen participation with this, and everyone has been pretty accurate with their answers with just a few small exceptions. I think the variety of responses demonstrate how difficult this group is, as well as the trickiness of interpreting photos without seeing the birds in the flesh.

So---the correct combination has still not been put forward. As far as I can tell--there is NO dowitcher or sand-plover in this photo (I would be gutted too as I failed to come up with a dowitcher on the trip full stop, as they seem to disappear in the lead up to the wet season).

That leaves:

1. Far Easter Curlew
2. Gull-billed Tern
3. Great Knot
4. Red Knot
5. Bar-tailed Godwit
6. Black-tailed Godwit
7. Pacific Golden Plover
8. ________________?

Once the correct ID is discovered I'll post an answer key pointing out the trickier birds.

Curlew sandpiper at lower right?

Cheers
Colin

Greater sandplover head immediately in front of the pacific golden.

Mr McKinlay is correct on the bird but incorrect on the id

Oriental plover - but still curious about that calidrid at lower right!
C

Oriental plover did not occur to me as a possibilty.
Would they be on the coast?
Any pointers on what in the photo can separate greater sand vs oriental?

I would've thought they eyestripe was too thick for an Oriental Plover on that bird. I saw the bird Colin is meaning but felt it was too big.

Also, is this bird not a dowitcher?
[img][/img]

Hi Glenn
It is a guessing game from an image with much of the bird obscured (e.g. the long yellow legs!), but I would expect more white on the cheeks of a sand-plover of either species.
Cheers
Colin