Polynesian Storm-Petrel?

[colinrl]

i drive buses, sometimes, along Auckland's NW motorway and I've been seeing birds that I can't identify. My best shot is Polynesian Storm-Petrels. I see them at two points. 1. From the bridge over the Whau Creek as I'm heading towards the city, I see them sitting on the mud on the right-hand side of the creek, and 2. after going on to the motorway in the other direction from Western Springs I see just one sitting on the mud where the mangroves come to an end. Always at half tide.
I went for a walk to the first spot today hoping to get a photograph, but none showed up.

Colin Lunt

[paradoxdinokipi]

The behaviour that you've described matches nothing like how Polynesian Storm-Petrels or any other Storm-Petrels for that matter would act, could you give a better description of what the birds actually looked like?

[colinrl]

They are slightly bigger than a sparrow. When sitting they are at an angle of 45 degrees or so. Black on the top of the wings with white underneath the chin. I did see one flying and it left a ripple on the water just after take-off, as if it had been dangling its feet on the surface. It seemed to have a lot of white on its back. Too much for any storm-petrel in my books. But I am zooming past in a bus. All I'm certain of is that it's a bird I've never seen before. It wasn't any of our regular storm-petrels. I've just been through my book "Albatrosses, Petrels and Shearwaters of the world and I can't pick anything that quite matches. As I said, Polynesian Storm-Petrel is my best shot. I may well be wrong, but whatever they are, they seem like a new species for me.

[RussCannings]

Hi Colin,

As the other commenter hinted, storm-petrels are a bird of offshore waters. Even with a scope it is almost never possible to see one from land unless during a brutal storm. If the bird is sitting on the mud and has a distinct chest band (like a Poly Stormy) perhaps it could be a Banded Dotterel? Aka Double-banded Plover.

Russ

[colinrl]

Definitely not.

[paradoxdinokipi]

SIPO? Little Shag? You could possibly blur some features seeing it whilst you're driving and all

[colinrl]

Not a SIPO or a Little Shag. Definitely something out of the ordinary. For me, anyway. It's something I've never seen before. Maybe it's a species I've seen before but in a plumage I've never come across before. I go along the NW motorway fairly frequently and I'm familiar with the usual birds and some of the less usual ones, but not these. This is the first time I've seen a species there that I couldn't identify.

Colin.

[naturespotter]

Maybe Shore Plover?

[colinrl]

No!

[andrewcrossland]

Can I suggest a couple of birders with scope and cameras ride Colin’s bus and when the birds are spotted, get off, and get some good views and pics to ascertain the ID