ID please-Greenshank,Juv Gull,Plover,Piper? (1 Viewer)

[christineredgate]

This bird was sitting with a group of Turnstones in the reserve.He never moved from his resting place.A chap who was in the hide,said he thought it was a Greenshank,but having looked in the ID book,does not seem to have the bill of a Greenshank,could he be a juvie Gull?,or a Sandpiper/Plover ?.
These were the best shots I could manage.He was surrounded by Turnstones,spent most of his time with his head tucked under his wing as he dozed in the sunshine,and I was using an extender.
Many thanks,
Christine.

 

[Glaucous1]

It's a knot Christine.

 

[christineredgate]

Thanks,Dave.This species I have only ever seen in large groups in the distance.

 

[christineredgate]

I guess it must be a juvenile,or still in Winter plumage.

 

[DaveN]

Yes It's a Knot.

 

[christineredgate]

thanks,Dave2

 

[Glaucous1]

Not great on plumages, but I would guess a young or non-breeding bird to be in that plumage this time of year Christine.

 

[Jane Turner]

Knot are still largely grey at this time of year. I can't see any juv feathers, but its debatable whether they'd be clear in the photos

 

[derekg]

Certainly looks like a Knot in winter plumage to me Christine.

Derek

 

[CAU]

Christine, the juvenile plumage is the first plumage a bird will acquire. Juvenile birds of most species replace a part of the feathers (some replace all of them) during the late summer/autumn/winter, and most second calendar year birds are thus no longer called juveniles (many raptors are exceptions). The correct terms would be first winter or first summer (or simply 2cy = 2nd calendar year).

In this case the wing coverts are extremely worn, whereas the scapulars are fresher but still grey. Adult birds replace all of their breeding (summer) plumage feathers with winter plumage feathers during the autumn, and moult back to summer plumage during the spring. First winter birds moult only part of their juvenal feathers during the autumn. A Knot that shows two different generations of grey feathers in spring is thus a 2cy bird (the worn feathers are juvenal). Some 2cy Knots moult partially to summer plumage in spring, but this bird seems to show no summer plumage feathers.