Help Identifying Bird (1 Viewer)

[howee74]

Hi everyone, i've seen the same bird twice in the last couple of days while walking the dog, and i cant identify it and its bugging the life out of me!
Its a largish wader, like a stocky Oystercatcher - has a straight bill, a squarish bill, reddish brown uppers (like a Turnstone) white rump and underside. Its sits until youre almost on top of it then flies off. I've seen it on an area of grassland
near the Tyne Tunnel on the North side which is very boggy at the moment, and about one third dense trees and undergrowth.

My initial thought was woodcock, but i think the colourings wrong - any ideas anyone??

 

[yukonite]

Hi everyone, i've seen the same bird twice in the last couple of days while walking the dog, and i cant identify it and its bugging the life out of me!
Its a largish wader, like a stocky Oystercatcher - has a straight bill, a squarish bill, reddish brown uppers (like a Turnstone) white rump and underside. Its sits until youre almost on top of it then flies off. I've seen it on an area of grassland
near the Tyne Tunnel on the North side which is very boggy at the moment, and about one third dense trees and undergrowth.

My initial thought was woodcock, but i think the colourings wrong - any ideas anyone??

might it be a snipe or jack snipe?

 

[Apodemus]

I would guess snipe from that description, especially the sitting tight until you almost walk on it.

Mike

 

[howee74]

thanks for the replies, just did an image search and think you're right - its a snipe - for some reason i had them in my head as smaller and plainer

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

Could it not perhaps be a Woodcock?

 

[David FG]

I'm bothered by the reported white rump. That doesn't fit with Snipe (or Woodcock).

 

[Scribbly Jack]

Wood and Green Sandpipers have white rumps and reletively straight bills. Upper body colour sounds wrong mind.

 

[Adam W]

Size sounds more like Woodcock though of course size is always hard to judge.Although they wouldnt show a white rump the underside of the tail can be flicked up which is quite bright white and stands out quite a bit.

Do you see it on the ground before it flies or does it just jump up close to you without knowing it was there?

 

[FoghornKinghorn]

When you say it is like a stocky oystercatcher do you mean in terms of size of the bird?

 

[howee74]

yes, but as mentioned its quite hard to judge as its speeding off in to the horizon. Since then i've had three definite woodcock sitings at very close quarters in the same general area, but in a more wooded part. I walk the dog through Wallsend Dene, its a great spot for birds, especially at the moment with the extreme weather