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Project Noah Nature School
Tringa melanoleuca
Large sandpiper with gray and black mottled upper. Bill is straight and long and the legs are long and yellow. He would stretch his head up high and then bob his head down and up. The bill is longer than the head and I am now noticing a little upcurve.
Seen by himself off the shore of Sandy Point Chebeague Island.
I have changed this listing from a lesser yellowlegs to a greater yellowlegs and added a few more photos.
Spotted on Oct 19, 2011
Submitted on Oct 19, 2011
4 Comments
Thank you all for your expertise - I am learning so much having joined this site.
Yes, I agree and I have gone back to some photos I took a couple of years ago of what I am now sure are lesser yellowlegs and have added a spotting:
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/764...
You can see the difference for sure.
I agree that this bird shouldn't be here at all. However, consider that it might be a common redshank. It has previously been spotted in Newfoundland. You're best able to tell the shade that the legs really were. But the way that the tail feathers flair in flight seemed odd for either of the yellowlegs.
http://eol.org/pages/1049441/overview
Based on Sibley distribution map, this bird shouldn't be there at all. I think, based on it's bill to head length that it's a greater yellowlegs. Perhaps it got blown in by that big hurricane you had a few months ago.