Greenshank call - Bombay

General birdwatching discussion, help with bird identification, and all other things relating to wild birds and birding in NZ that don't fit in one of the other forums.
bombaydave2
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Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby bombaydave2 » Sat Jan 04, 2020 9:43 pm

Heard a greenshank flying over bombay hills, south auckland tonight(5 mins ago). I am familiar with greenshank call from UK. Is there any other bird in NZ that makes a similar call. 3 note call. repeated twice in flight.
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Adam C
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Re: Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby Adam C » Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:41 am

Got my first Greenshank while on holiday in Melbourne today and I'm not sure what was more enjoyable..Seeing it or hearing them call. Such a clear distinctive sound that I cant match even remotely to an NZ bird. So hopefully it's legit!

I'm hoping the bird Bev got at Ellesmere shows up again too. Might be a few around this year! Fingers crossed.
“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.”

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RussCannings
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Re: Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby RussCannings » Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:33 pm

Very cool record Dave!

I guess for me the confusion species (especially at night over NZ) would be SIPO or immature Pied Stilt (they have a multi-syllabic high pitched call that the adults don't seem to do).

Speaking if which, just had my year bird Greater Yellowlegs... in Victoria, Canada though haha

Russ
Ian Southey
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Re: Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby Ian Southey » Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:13 am

Dave

I'm not especially familiar with Greenshank calls but, having just listened to some tapes, I think this record might be of migrating SIPO.

On passage their calls are a little more relaxed than what you hear on the mudflats and often only one or a few notes are heard although sometimes a number of birds in a flock will call. In the Bombay area you be en route to maybe the Firth of Thames but certainly to points further north so I'd expect migrating waders overhead and right now is their peak northward migration period.

Ian
bombaydave2
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Re: Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby bombaydave2 » Thu Jan 09, 2020 8:33 pm

So, after some deliberation and listening to calls on line I am 99/9% confident I heard a greenshank. I walk the dog every night around 10.30pm and regularly hear birds flying over. Oystercatchers and godwits common but also wfTerns. Heard a Long tailed cuckoo recently and have heard common terns and flocks of Kaka every year, usually in the late summer/ early Autumn.
Ian Southey
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Re: Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby Ian Southey » Thu Jan 09, 2020 9:19 pm

Well Dave

Birds at night can indeed be interesting - for South Auckland the surprises are the Greenshank and Common Tern. Have heard, or had good reports of the others and you might also get things like Black Swan Pied Stilt, Banded Dotterel, Wrybill and goodness knows what else besides.

Ian
bombaydave2
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Re: Greenshank call - Bombay

Postby bombaydave2 » Thu Jan 09, 2020 9:43 pm

Common tern were seen during a heavy storm last Feb. and weirdly the night I heard the greenshank there were strong westerlies and the moon was bright orange! The following day was the hazy bush fires sky. Is there a possibility that the greenshank came form Aus?
Pied stilt, spur winged plover and pukeko are common night time callers as are the flocks of Canada geese flying over.

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