Migratory waders

These visitors travel vast distances to escape the Northern

Hemisphere winter,often flying non stop for several days.

They usually arrive without their breeding plumage,making

identification difficult.The birds posted here were all taken

at the former wetlands.I have to photograph them from a long

distance due to the terrain and apologise for the quality.

Bar-tailed godwit ( Limosa lapponica )

Our largest and least common visitor from N.E Siberia

it has a long upcurved pink beak.Size;45Cms

Common greenshank (Tringa nebularia )

A regular visitor from temperate Eurasia,it has long green

legs and a large blue bill with a dark tip.Size;30Cms

Common sandpiper ( Actitis hypoleucos )

A rarer visitor to Lincoln Cove area,usually a solitary,

secretive visitor from Europe & N Asia.Size;20Cms

Curlew sandpiper ( Calidris ferruginea )

From N Siberia,it is common visitor to Australia,but scarcer

in this area.Identified by the larger down curved beak

and dark legs.Size;23Cms

Sharp-tailed sandpiper ( Calidris acuminata )

The most abundant visitor from N.E Asia,it can be distinguished

from other sandpipers by the green legs.Size;23Cms

Red-necked stint ( Calidris ruficollis )

The smallest visitor,only 13Cm,migrates from N.Asia and Alaska.

It displays salmon pink plumage around neck when breeding.

A Red-necked stint foraging for insects with 2 Sharp-tailed

sandpipers demonstrates the size difference.