Help ID these birds please.

[Phoenix]

Only a quick trip to Broome but had to check out the bird observatory so went on a guided tour with a lovely Taiwanese lady who has a degree in waders! What riches do you get for this? You get to be a lowly paid tour guide.

It was the middle of the day in intense Broome humidity with temperatures over 40 degrees that we went to see the birds, as that's when the high tides force the birds onto the beach. (tides are about 6 metres)

The birds looked like they were suffering (as were we).
I think, at the closest we were about 40 metres away.

So ... please ID away! ... Best seen in large formats.

Broom Birds Observatory by Joanne, on Flickr

Broom Birds Observatory by Joanne, on Flickr

Broom Birds Observatory by Joanne, on Flickr

Broom Birds Observatory by Joanne, on Flickr

[seaslug]

Hard to isolate Jo, but they look like Common Greenshanks.

[Phoenix]

Our local bird rescue man, who sadly passed away, always used to make fun of me for thinking our (not so) common greenshanks were ...(whatever misidentification i came up with..insert here.->)...... Your comment made me laugh and remember him.

[Alan]

Hi Jo,

Again, my previous comment seems to have disappeared?

I sent this link to my birding mate who has just returned from a 'Farewell to the Waders' workshop in Broome (very hot and humid he said)

His reply...

"I can see Great Knots, Red Knots, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plovers, Grey Tailed Tattlers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Black-tailed Godwits, Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Terns, Broad-billed Sandpiper, possibly Stints as well. There are even some banded birds with leg flags on them. There are a couple I am not sure of.

Good numbers. This is like some of the flocks we saw at high tide at the roosts."


They all look the same to me...

Awesome sight!

He said they used to align themselves in a line at sundown with 'North' and then set off on their massive journey - quite amazing.

[Phoenix]

Well... well.... your birding mate knows stuff about birds.
Thanks for the ids..... just need to label each one for me. :-)
He missed the broad billed sandpipers... apparently they are there... the guide said so.

[Isac]

Puts my shot of a maggie on my roof to shame.

[Phoenix]

It's quality not quantity that counts. (-;

[Alan]

Hi Jo,
My mate Bill kindly labeled them for you

Photo - Waders 1
Black-tailed Godwit - Tiger strips on side of breast in breeding plumage, straight bill, smaller fleshy coloured area at base of bill.
Bar-tailed Godwit - Slightly up-turned bill. Most birds in the rear of photo are Bar-tailed.
Greater Knots - Black spotted breast - . The majority of birds in photo are these
Red Knot - Similar size to Greater but in breeding plumage they are red
Broad-billed Sandpiper - Small bird, Striped head, slight downturn to bill
Across the front are a mix of Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers



Photo Waders 2
Tereck Sandpiper. Smooth grey, long bill, yellowish legs

Hopefully this may help your contact with the ID's and with practice on the other birds hopefully some of the features will become more obvious.

Two birds to work on are the Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers.

Greater - Longer, more pointed bill, Less prominent breast tabs (the lesser extend further down the flanks), generally paler legs, overall colour paler and sandy, dark patch under eye less extensive. In breeding plumage the Lesser has more red down the chest.

Stints will be the very small birds.

Cheers

[Phoenix]

Well I am gobsmacked!
I didn't even know there was a lesser crested tern.
When I posted these images I was not really expecting much in the way of ID. Very impressed with your connections Alan. The lovely lady guide was telling me about the "broad billed sandpiper, I must admit I couldn't see what she was but , I did nod and make the appropirate "oh..ahhhh" noises, trying to sound like I did.
I did learn on that trip that plovers have big eyes and that Godwits have two part bills that can flex mid bill. I think there are a lot of ... some other kind of plover (at the front) and Tereks in there too.