Curlew Sandpiper

Taken at Vazon Bay, Guernsey - 40D, 500f4L, 1.4x, f/8, 1/640, ISO200, man.exp., tripod.

Another shot from the weekend.

Thanks

Paul H
Guernsey

Oh my thats a super shot.Love everything about it.

Well done

Hi Paul,

This is a fantastic shot, the light and the BG/water colour make it for me. I would look at cloning the 2 blobs out in front of the bird but other than that, superb!

Regards
Chris.

Nice shot,

- bill is very very short for a curlew sandpiper and rather blunt tipped, but rest of jizz looks right for CS more prominant supercilium and elongated body shape, but that bill just looks plain wrong to me, I may be off wack here

I'll double check Mike but I'm pretty sure it is. If you check our local bird news site (link below) you'll see the same bird confirmed for Saturday when this was taken.

http://www.geocities.com/mplawlorgue/Guernseybirdnews.html

Thanks

Paul

Here's a version with the 2 dark areas cloned out as Chris suggested.

A great shot turned into a superb shot IMO, much better!

Chris.

I'm sttill not convinced by the bill thickness it is too even and doesn't taper at the end, Curlew Sandpiper bills are delicate by comparison to this bird - see those in PT's shot earlier this week - I think this is a longer than normal billed dunlin.

Fantastic shot Paul - love everything about it.

Malcolm

I liked it with the 2 stones.Like it even more now

You could well be right Mike. Before the last few days I've never even seen a C.Sandpiper or indeed a Dunlin so I shall try to get this ID confirmed by some of my birding friends.

Thanks.

Looks good for a juv Curlew sand to me Paul. The bill is smoothly curved, not kinked like a Dunlin, no sign of black spots like a juv Dunlin & a prominent supercilium. It also has quite a long neck.
Great shot by the way. I dont mind the stones as they are part of the habitat, & think they should stay in. In the days of film, what would you have done about them?
Regards Rob.

This is a first year juv Curlew Sandpiper, the long tibia (between the knee and body), also the primaries projecting beyond the tip of the tail, and the defined and prominent supercilium are the clinchers in this shot, in flight they have a bold white rump.
Dunlin of the nominate race Calidris a. alpina (breeding in northern Feno Scandia and generally only in the UK whilst migrating) have the longest bills, the legs however are quite short giving the bird a "dumpy" appearance and the less obvious supercilium is quite poorly defined behind the eye.

Oh yeah its a nice image too!

Thanks Nigel, Rob for your ID help and everyone for your comments.

Outstanding pic. with or without the stones. Great work.

Either one would work for me Paul

My bad - live and learn eh!

Cracking light and colour. Love the low angle and posture