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John Chardine
08-30-2009, 05:09 PM
The yellowlegs pass through our area on their way south for the winter depressingly early in the year. Last year they arrived on 4 July. This year they were later, but whenever they arrive, you know winter is around the corner (kind of the same feeling when the nights start to get longer). I was looking through some older images and experimenting with Adobe Camera Raw and found this one from 2008; thought it was worth posting.

I cropped a little and cleaned the water up a little.

What species of yellowlegs is it?

Canon EOS 40D, 500/4
capture date: Thursday, 24 July, 2008 7:03 PM
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 400
shutter speed: 1/1000
aperture: f6.3
exposure bias: +0.0
metering: Pattern
flash: OFF
Axel Hildebrandt
08-30-2009, 05:36 PM
I like the light and wide crop and think a lower angle might have made it even stronger. Is it a lesser yellowlegs?
Arthur Morris
08-30-2009, 05:42 PM
It's an obvious Greater Yellowlegs, a worn molting adult. Break the bill off and stick it through the head. If it sticks out more than a tiny bit, it is a Greater. Half the length of this bill would protrude. Do consider a copy of my "Shorebirds; Beautiful Beachcombers." It contains dozens of aging and ID tips.

Does any know why this is an adult?

For me GYL is a sign that summer is coming into full swing. Depressing is a choice.
Axel Hildebrandt
08-30-2009, 05:45 PM
It's an obvious Greater Yellowlegs, a worn molting adult. Break the bill off and stick it through the head. If it sticks out more than a tiny bit, it is a Greater.

Interesting, the length of the bill makes sense but I thought the bill of greater YLs is bent upward.
Arthur Morris
08-30-2009, 06:25 PM
Agree. The shape of the bill is atypical for GYL but it surely looks like a greater to me. The bills of LYL are needle-like and just about the same length as the head. And they are almost always fully black. The prominent heavy chevrons are also indicative of greater rather than lesser. Heck, I have been wrong before even with common shorebirds but I believe that this is a greater.

Where is Wayne Richardson when we need him?
arash_hazeghi
08-31-2009, 04:07 AM
Love the low angle and reflections, light is perfect. congrats