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On a Bay of Plenty steep sandy beach this week, I saw a smallish sandpiper-to-knot sized wader running around on the tide line at 2am in the night. The bird looked of a similar character to a knot/pec sandpiper/sharpie, but the exact size was difficult to judge, due to the darkness and lack of other landscape features to gain a comparison from.
The bird remained loyal to a particular patch on the edge of the surf line, running up and down the slope of the steep sandy beach, dodging the crashing waves. It was light underneath the belly and underwings, and leg length approx of the proportions of the three species above. The breast looked speckled and dark, ending halfway down the breast. The straight dark bill looked approx of the weight and length of a Knot, but this is very approximate due to the poor light and the constant rapid movement of the bird.
When approached, the bird would fly 20 to 30 metres down the tide line. When followed, it repeatedly flew back past the observers, returning to the previous spot several times.
The call would be conclusive, and I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know what it was. It was a typical wader-type 'peeep!' but with a piirrrp in the middle of the one single note. The call note was chirring in the centre, sounding just like a skylark's grating, but with a smooth start and finish. I'm sure this was just something common that I should recognise.
Our field guides are hopeless, generally making no attempt to desribe calls, and I've yet to find a set of CD's to use for reference.
Over to you......... ..
Rewi

Not NZ dotterel? Sort of thing you'd expect on a sandy BOP beach.
Interesting time to be out birding

Thanks Neil, is that what Dots sound like? Never heard one call. They're a rather silent bird in my experience.
However, I think the bird may have had a less bulky character than that displayed by most charadriformes so I didn't really give that option much consideration. The body shape looked slimmer and more attenuated toward the head and neck than I would expect from a Dot. Never seen one running in the surf like that either.
Tell me about the call, though. Does my description of that sound correct for NZ Dot to you?
Rewi

Hi Rewi,
Call sounds like it could be a N.Z. Dotterel, they do make that pirrup call. Usually N.Z. Dotterel where I have most contact with them are fairly vocal and confiding, quite accepting of people being quite close.
Males in breeding would be reddish brown on the chest at this time of year but non breeding quite plain white with grey breast band. Size about the same but heavier than a Lesser Knot and has a shorter bill.
Cheers, Noel

Could it be a banded dot? more likely to be nz dot though, and I have heard its call, which sounds very much like you described.
Cheers

Chris

Thanks for the suggestions. Reckon Dot, then. Just can't seem to find recordings to use for reference. I understand that there's a boxed set of CD's of all the calls of NZ birds? Anyone got them, or know the reference number and title, so that I can get myself a set? It's a 'must-have' for any birder really!
Thanks again for the advice, everyone. I'd never have arrived at that identification without your input.
Rewi