Waders in Cairns

Red-necked Stint Nbr

2011-04-18T10:53:00.000+09:00

Red-necked Stint, adult non-breeding.

Common Greenshank Nbr

2011-04-08T11:26:00.002+09:00

Common Greenshank,adult non-breeding.

Same individual, in flight.

Shows primaries still in moult.

2011-04-08T09:13:00.000+09:00

Great Knot, moult to adult non-breeding.

It shows only worn primaries, but following picture shows primaries in moult.

Whimbrel Nbr

2011-04-07T11:10:00.000+09:00

Whimbrel, adult non-breeding.

Shows primaries still in moult.

Curlew Sandpiper Nbr

2011-04-07T09:13:00.000+09:00

Curlew Sandpiper, Adult non-breeding.

Shows primaries still in moult.

Bar-tailed Godwit Br

2011-04-04T11:58:00.002+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, Adult breeding.

Bar-tailed Godwit NBr-Br

2011-04-04T11:09:00.001+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, moult to adult breeding.

Tail.

Tail, uppertail-covers and tertials.

Bar-tailed Godwit J

2011-04-04T10:51:00.001+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, juvenile.

Tail and tertials. Showing not much wear on primaries.

Bar-tailed Godwit Br-NBr

2011-04-04T10:31:00.002+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, moult to adult non-breeding.

Has no juvenile plumage.

Very worn feathers. Shows no juvenile feathers.

Same individual.

Primaries in moult. It seems just finished long journey. It actually bit late for them to arrive, must caught in truble somewhere.

Bar-tailed Godwit 1S-2W

2011-04-04T10:05:00.001+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, moult to second non-breeding.

Wing covers.

Worn juvenile tertials and tail.

Bar-tailed Godwit 1S-2W

2011-04-04T10:02:00.001+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, moult to second non-breeding.

Worn wing covers.

Worn juvenile tertials, tail and primaries.

Bar-tailed Godwit NBr

2011-04-04T09:53:00.000+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, adult non-breeding.

Bill length indicate female.

Tertials and tail.

Bar-tailed Godwit NBr

2011-04-04T09:49:00.001+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, adult non-breeding.

Wing covers.

Tertials and tail.

Bar-tailed Godwit NBr

2011-04-04T09:11:00.000+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, adult non-breeding.

Tail

Worn covers.

This individual could be the 2S to 3W. I can't say for sure.

Bar-tailed Godwit Br-NBr

2011-04-04T08:30:00.003+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, moult to adult non-breeding.

Bill length indicate this could be a male.

Same individual. Shows primaries in moult. Some worn lesser covers retain (white arrow).

Masked Lapwing

2011-04-02T21:48:00.000+09:00

Masked Lapwing Race miles, adult.

Masked Lapwing Race miles, juvenile.

Masked Lapwing Race miles, chick.

Masked Lapwing Race novaehollandiae, adult.

Used to called Spur-winged Lapwing.

Distinctive black band on the chest, and smaller wattle.

Masked Lapwing Race novaehollandiae, juvenile.

Hybrid naturally occurs. Left individual.

Wattle larger than race novaehollandiae, but smaller than race miles.

Race novaehollandiae has broader black band.

Bar-tailed Godwit J

2011-04-02T21:39:00.000+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, post-juvenile moult.

Shows worn juvenile feathers, and some non-breeding feathers (grey un-notched ones on the scapulars).

Close-up. They usually worn out like this.

Bar-tailed Godwit 1S-2W

2011-04-02T21:36:00.000+09:00

Bar-tailed Godwit, moult to second-non-breeding.

Shorter bill indicate male.

Same individual.

Since this individual has few breeding plumage, and very worn primaries and wing covers, it could be in moult to second non-breeding from first breeding plumage.

Same individual.

Wing covers looks more likely to be a juvenile plumage.

Asian Dowitcher J-1W

2011-04-02T21:29:00.000+09:00

Asian Dowitcher.

Same individual.

According to lack of breeding plumage, less worn in primaries, color of covers, this would be the first non- breeding moult.

Central tail feathers grey. "Shorebirds of Northern America, Europe, and Asia" mentions that feature. But I never noticed that in other individuals.

Asian Dowitcher 1S-2W?

2011-04-02T21:25:00.000+09:00

Another Asian Dowitcher in Cairns Esplanade. There are 2 (possibly 3) Dowitchers on Esplanade recently. This individual has small pink area on bill base, and worn brown covers. I thought this would be the 1W again, same as another one. But...

When it flashed, it showed primary moult. This indicate that this is not 1W.

Since there are no breeding plumage, and some juvenile features, this might be a Moult to second non-breeding.

Asian Dowitcher 1W

2011-04-02T21:21:00.000+09:00

Asian Dowitcher, moult to first non-breeding.

Small pink area on bill base, worn wing-covers.

Same individual. Shows slightly worn primaries and no primary moult.

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Different individual.

Shows worn wing covers.

Most Scolopacidae has flexible bill like this.

Asian Dowitcher J

2011-04-02T21:14:00.000+09:00

Asian Dowitcher, juvenile.

Distinctive broad white fringes on upper-parts and wing-covers.

Faint pink on bill base.

Same individual.

Curlew Sandpiper Nbr

2011-04-02T21:10:00.000+09:00

Curlew Sandpiper, Adult non-breeding.

Same individual.

Curlew Sandpiper 1S

2011-04-02T21:07:00.000+09:00

Curlew Sandpiper, first breeding.

Shows some breeding plumage and molted primaries.

Some of the small-sized waders moult outer primaries in first-breeding.

Curlew Sandpiper, first breeding.

Shows some breeding plumage on scapulars.

Curlew Sandpiper, first breeding.

Curlew Sandpiper Br

2011-04-02T21:01:00.000+09:00

Curlew Sandpiper, adult breeding.

They tend to start migration as soon as they got breeding plumage. We don't have much chance to see the full breeding plumage.

Curlew Sandpiper J

2011-04-02T20:57:00.000+09:00

Curlew Sandpiper, post-juvenile moult.

Note pale fringed covers and dark sub-terminal band on scapulars.

There are some pale grey non-breeding feathers on covers.

Different individual.

More non-breeding feathers on covers and mantle.

Red-necked Stint 1S

2011-04-02T20:15:00.001+09:00

Red-necked Stint, first breeding.

Same individual. Note new primaries on P8 to P10.

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Red-necked Stint, first breeding.

Same individual. Note new primaries on P8 to P10.

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Red-necked Stint, first breeding.

Same individual. Note new primaries on P6 to P10.

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Red-necked Stint, first breeding.

Same individual. Note new primaries on P8 to P10.

Grey-tailed Tattler 1S-2W

2011-04-02T20:06:00.003+09:00

Grey-tailed Tattler, moult to second non-breeding.

Same individual.

Note new primaries on P7 to P10.

Grey-tailed Tattler J

2011-04-02T20:01:00.001+09:00

Grey-tailed Tattler, Juvenile.

Note white fringes, spots and sub-terminal band on upper-parts.

Post-juvenile moult.
Compare to the individual above, obtained more plain 1st non-breeding feathers on upper-parts.

Grey-tailed Tattler Br

2011-04-02T19:53:00.002+09:00

Grey-tailed Tattler, Adult breeding.

Just arrived. Shows very worn wing covers.

Same individual.

Grey-tailed Tattler 1W-1S

2011-04-02T18:45:00.006+09:00

Grey-tailed Tattler, moult to first-breeding.

Shows some breeding plumage on chest. First breeding often has no breeding plumage, but this one's wing cover seems too worn for adult. So I go this as moult to first-breeding.

Grey-tailed Tattler Br.

2011-04-02T18:28:00.007+09:00

Grey-tailed Tattler, flesh breeding plumage.

Note the flesh breeding has white fringe on covers.