Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

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kelly111
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 2:42 pm

Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby kelly111 » Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:55 pm

Adam C wrote:Hi Kelly can you pop that 2nd flight shot back up? It doesn't make it any less of a Buff Breasted Sandpiper and really important for ID purposes. We're all 99% on it :) Its an epic wee bird you've found!

i have it back up and that is about as best as i can get it to look.its just late and getting dark when i got the photos..
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Adam C
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Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby Adam C » Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:29 pm

Fantastic! Lets hope he sticks around! Pretty epic sharing an experience with your young lad like that! It's even got my 14 year old fired up again :) Its turning into a great year thanks to everyones efforts getting out there and finding these awesome migrants. Makes me wonder whats hiding down the West Coast etc. Lets hope the bigger magnets like Ellesmere, Ashley etc keep pulling them in all summer! Miranda, Farewell spit etc must be due for a few gems too.
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”

Samuel Ullman
andrewcrossland
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Location: Christchurch

Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby andrewcrossland » Thu Nov 21, 2019 7:53 pm

Hi team, there were 6 ot 7 birders out between 5 and 6 this evening, looking at low tide on both sides of the estuary. A Red-necked Stint was present and some Knots but no sign of the reported Buff-breasted Sandpiper. No Little Egret either (one day wonders??)
kelly111
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 2:42 pm

Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby kelly111 » Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:49 pm

andrewcrossland wrote:Hi team, there were 6 ot 7 birders out between 5 and 6 this evening, looking at low tide on both sides of the estuary. A Red-necked Stint was present and some Knots but no sign of the reported Buff-breasted Sandpiper. No Little Egret either (one day wonders??)
me and my son are going out tomorrow night. I hope to see it again. But have been 2 times now with no luck.
Maybe the time me and my son had seen it will be it.if so we were so lucky to see it. But I hope it is still there for some more birders to see.
wazzagonewild
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Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby wazzagonewild » Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:17 am

No sign of it in an hour of searching this morning either. The birds were very spread out at low tide, so it might be an idea to try on a full tide soon too.
kelly111
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 2:42 pm

Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby kelly111 » Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:47 am

wazzagonewild wrote:No sign of it in an hour of searching this morning either. The birds were very spread out at low tide, so it might be an idea to try on a full tide soon too.
I am going out after work.hope to see it.
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Adam C
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Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby Adam C » Sun Nov 24, 2019 5:15 pm

Just flicking through Dennis Paulson's Shorebirds of North America on a lazy Sundee afternoon and came across this shot of a Juv Buff Breasted SP. Goes a long way to back up the flight shots. Note the field guides and other shots online show a much less contrasting wing but here we see it almost matching Kelly's bird. Even if the bird is never seen again I think we can all put it firmly in the Buff Breasted camp. Younger bird possibly.
20191124_170934.jpg
20191124_170934.jpg (273.52 KiB) Viewed 2333 times
“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”

Samuel Ullman
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philbattley
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Re: Buff Breasted Sandpiper, Ashley Estuary Canterbury

Postby philbattley » Mon Nov 25, 2019 9:00 am

The rumps of ruffs appear to have two long pale oblongs on either side of the dark centre. I apologise for ever suggesting ruff!

Phil

Adam C wrote:Hmmm...Doesn't this put it in Reeve territory? Although bill still looks too short and structure too squat for Reeve.
Image below from the Helm Guide, Waders of Europe, Asia & Nth America.

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