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Or something else entirely ???

I saw about a dozen of these little fellas on sand flats at low tide, Golden Bay, S.I.

Heavy cropped images but should be good enough for an ID ?? My first thought was banded dotterels but thought it odd there was no adults or even markings on the birds that resembled undeveloped adult markings.

Thanks, Matt


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All Banded Dotterel

Yep, so each one of those is a Banded Dotterel. At this time of year birds either have the faded breast band and brownish plumage of adults, or the more speckled plumage of juveniles. None have the typical black neck band, and wide chestnut breast band in full colour - just multiple varieties of faded bands, as is evident in all of these pics.

Mongolian Plovers are much greyer, with prominent shoulder tabs like these: