I am looking at either a Lesser Yellowlegs or a Short-billed Dowitcher, I think; but these all look so much alike I am relatively clueless.
This was shot in salt marsh, between Tybee Island and Savannah, yesterday. Sorry about the quality, but this was from a moving boat, with all the lens I had (80-400mm VR).
Posted by Buck Ward on September 13, 2010 at 6:33 PM
It looks like a dowitcher to me. Definitely not a lesser yellow legs - the bill is too long. I attached a recent picture of a short billed dowitcher, for comparison
Posted by Buck Ward on September 13, 2010 at 6:48 PM
And here's a lesser yellowlegs
Posted by Mia McPherson on September 13, 2010 at 10:45 PM
It's a Dowitcher Phil
Posted by Jim DeWitt on September 14, 2010 at 1:31 AM
I'd say a juvenile (hatch year) Short-billed Dowitcher. I'm never sure without hearing the flight call, but the yellow legs, pale chest and comparatively short bill argue for a young SBDO to me.
Posted by Brian Gatlin on September 14, 2010 at 8:55 AM
Phil, if you can post a 100% (or at least larger than the current) view of the tertials it might be possible to tell if this is a long or short-billed, but it is definitely a Dowitcher.
Posted by Richard Ditch on September 14, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Discussion
7 repliesThis was shot in salt marsh, between Tybee Island and Savannah, yesterday. Sorry about the quality, but this was from a moving boat, with all the lens I had (80-400mm VR).