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They are ugly indeed but in a cute way.Not sure why I like it; it's pretty ugly!
Jack
We were at Corkscrew last month and had a great time. I posted shots of painted buntings. Did you get any? Here is a limpkin with a snail and a piedbill grebe.Yesterday I was at Bunche Beach and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Two amazing places for birds! I usually do the first couple hours of sunlight at Bunche Beach, and then move on. After that, I went to Corkscrew Swamp. You can seriously spend all day there! If you have not been there and are going to southern Florida, make that a stop. This first set will be from Bunche Beach and the second set will be from Corkscrew Swamp. All taken with 7D mkii / EF500 f4 / 1.4xiii. Again, some were taken without extender, due to extreme closeness.
Reddish Egret
Little Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Jeremy
I don't think it's Dunlin. Not Sanderling or Semipalmated sandpiper too (the forth thumb is clearly visible - Sanderlings are missing that one. In the Semipalmated we have to see some connection between the thumbs, I don't see it ...). I will try to ID it when I get home but since it looks like one of the "pips" I may fail - these are notoriously difficult... It may help somewhat if you tell us where you took that photo. Nice shot anyway!
We were at Corkscrew last month and had a great time. I posted shots of painted buntings. Did you get any? Here is a limpkin with a snail and a piedbill grebe.
Thank you, ISv! Most of my current bird photos, including this one, are taken in Qatar, where I'm based now. These birds are here all year roundI don't think it's Dunlin. Not Sanderling or Semipalmated sandpiper too (the forth thumb is clearly visible - Sanderlings are missing that one. In the Semipalmated we have to see some connection between the thumbs, I don't see it ...). I will try to ID it when I get home but since it looks like one of the "pips" I may fail - these are notoriously difficult... It may help somewhat if you tell us where you took that photo. Nice shot anyway!
Thanks a lot for your research, ISv! Well, my words "all year round" should be treated with caution because 1) I mostly see them from fall to spring and I have no clue what happens in the summer because I basically don't go out at this time due to scorching heat; 2) I might as well mistake this bird for a few similar sandpipers or plovers. They always hang out on the beach together. My second best match is Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), mostly because of the shape of the beak and absebce of dark stripes on the head.! - I was already sure in the rightness of your identification - Dunlin! But "all year round" ?!!!!
Well: I'm temporary with very bad monitor at my work and when I was watching your photos they appeared so gray for Dunlin. Also the bill is kind of short in comparison with the Dunlins I have seen here (Hawaii). My first guest was Western sandpiper (long bill, grayish back but disturbing brest - to much dark there) and it was the reason to suspect "peep" (the smallest birds in genus Calidris).
At home on my monitor the colors matched Dunlin (there is no way to judge the size of the bird on your photos - could you, please, put a ruler next to the bird in the future photos). The only problem left was that shortish bill. I haven't seen Dunlin in Europe and checking the variations of different subspecies I found that, indeed, there are at least two European races that could be shorter in the bill. And both of them are eventually wintering in your area... The Western is not migrating to your parts of the World and has different colors (and size off course) - NOTE, all the time I'm speeking about NONbreading plumage! Another suspect was the Broad-billed sandpiper but it always has double, supercilium (the light streaks above the eye).
But "all year round"? I have no idea what kind of Calidris (and it's definitelly from genus Calidris for me) you can see there (Qatar) all the year. If you have older photos, please, check the timing...