Massed Waders of Sheppey

[pressld2]

Okay, it's the OCD in me coming out but I just had to count them...



I make it exactly 100 sanderlings, 20 turnstones, 5 greenshank and 1 redshank.

Dave P.

[captain nodge]

And one Brown Ale bottle maybe?
Forgot to say quite an impressive amount of em waders, any ideas what they feed on mainly?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by captain nodge

And one Brown Ale bottle maybe?
Forgot to say quite an impressive amount of em waders, any ideas what they feed on mainly?

Feed on an assorted invertebrates including various worms, small crustacea, molluscs, insects such as flies under seaweed for Turnstones. Each species has its own ecology adapted to different prey/ hunting techniques. Differences in bill shape/length reduces interspecific competition.

Sheppey is a great place for birds- waders, owls, raptors, wildfowl, etc.

[rlchew]

What about that Dunlin hiding behind the seaweed covered rock Dave?

The wader congregation (is that the collective noun or is it a mass?) off Sheppey is always impressive.

Usually plenty of Oystercathers on the shoreline too.

Richard

[captain nodge]

No hiding place then for their food with the all the various tactics going on then,somwhere on this forum i see a redshank eating what looks like a small fish or eel,ive only ever seen them probing for those very slender worms, so they will go for bigger prey then?

[Dan Salter]

I got at east 23 turnstone?...(possibly 22 if its a dunlin behind that rock?)

[solus]

Ummm - why aren't those "Greenshank" Knot?

Edit:
Should have added that Greenshank are mostly summer migrants to the UK although some occasionally winter (there's apparently been one on the Exe estuary in Devon recently); they are bigger than Redshank and have fairly long ever-so-slightly upcurved bills.

[pressld2]

I've had a PM to that effect too Solus. When I was there on the day I was thinking Knot but when I came home and looked at some of the close up shots such as this one...



I changed my mind to Greenshank.

I even posted Knot in the Bird of the Day thread and then later corrected it to Greenshank.

I am hopeless at the small grey waders so very grateful for for other people's views. Of course it's possible that the above photo is a Greenshank but they were Knot in the original. Or that they are all Knot and I was right first time!

Here's a 100% crop of the one at top left in the main photo. The legs look like they have a greenish tinge to me...



Dave P.

P.s. D'oh - I'll have to recount now Dan!

[solus]

Sorry, Knot! Not Greenshank. The legs of Knot are actually greenish in good light. A Greenshank's bill would be much longer whereas the Knot's is relatively short compared with its body size and also Greenshank is a much bigger bird (than Knot), slightly larger than Redshank, sort of elegant or graceful looking. There's some good pics in the Gallery.

As for small grey waders, if you saw a Knot in its summer finery it'd be red.... ! But we mostly see them in winter in Britain although in the early autumn flocks often include birds moulting out of their breeding plumage so they can show varying amounts of red on breast and belly.

By the way, 1st impressions and instinct can often be the right ones. It's too much thinking that gets us into bother!

[Dogghound]

Definately Knot. Greenshanks are far longer legged with a slightly upturned bill.