Pectoral sandpiper?

[Stevex2]

Hi everyone.

A visit to Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere on Thursday was very fruitful with many birds seen. But I need someone with more knowledge than me for this one. I saw quite a number of sharp tailed sandpiper but, in among them, were birds that seemed similar but proved to be subtly different. After much pouring over reference texts and on-line I am pretty sure that what I saw was the pectoral sandpiper. If so this is my first sighting of this bird. However, my knowledge of migrant waders is definitely at the 'enthusiastic beginner' end of the spectrum so I'd appreciate any help confirming, or offering an alternative, to my identification. I based my diagnosis on the two-tone bill (yellowish closer to the head), and the clear line of demarcation between the speckled breast and the white belly. Many thanks.

[David Lawrie]

Looks good to me for a Pect. I also look at the top of the crown, in ST it is chestnut, in Pect it is just streaky.

[AlanShaw]

Yes, certainly a Pec. Has the sharp demarcation breast/belly and lacks the chestnut cap of a Sharpie.

[AlanShaw]

The other bird in the first photo also looks like another Pec.

[Michael Szabo]

Great photos, Steve - thanks for posting

[Lacertae]

Love the 2nd shot !

[Ian Southey]

On the ID tips one of my favourites, and I think, also a very good one, for telling Pectoral Sandpipers from Sharpies is to look under the tail to see if the coverts are clean white or streaked. I put the bill colour in this category.

Also note the yellow legs of the Pec rather than the (usually) greenish legs on a Sharpy. I find the breast demarcation can be quite clean on a sharpy and the really obvious chestnut caps are a feature of juveniles so not always clear. It's good to have a few features to run through in case one or more of them is not clear.

Ian

[phil hammond]

also with sharpies the yellow at the base of the bill is usually only on the lower mandible, every pec' ive seen has yellow at the base of both mandibles

[Davidthomas]

Was out with WET/Bird survey today and saw two Sharpies, both had a quite obvious black bill so your two were definitely pectorals. There have been a few seen at Crescent Island along with the sanderlings and greenshank so its quite possible.

Where abouts did you see these on the lake?

[Stevex2]

Yes, Crescent Island, along with several curlew sandpiper, numerous wrybill, a small flock of sharpies, lesser knots, godwit, banded dotterel, about 20 red necked stint and the usual resident waders and wetland birds.