Sanderling

[Adams Serra]

This image was made at Estero Lagoon last Saturday afternoon

MKIII
F 5.6
1/2500
Iso 400
600 x1.4Tc 840mm
Manual Exposure

All comments are appreciated

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Beautiful capture Adam with a great low angle and lovely resting pose. Excellent color and detail and a most appealing BG. Excellent work !!!!

[Daniel Cadieux]

I like the resting pose...especially with the open eye. My first instinct was to suggest cropping from above...but the more I look at it the more I like the comp as is. Is this bird "browner" than a Sanderling should be at this time of year?

[Ramon M. Casares]

VERY nice! I like the feel and atmosphere, comp, light, BG, colours, all is great! Congratulations Adam!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great angle, light and details. As Daniel, first I was wondering about cropping some off the top but think you made a good decision.

[Adams Serra]

I like the resting pose...especially with the open eye. My first instinct was to suggest cropping from above...but the more I look at it the more I like the comp as is. Is this bird "browner" than a Sanderling should be at this time of year?

There was a group of about 20 birds, some of them were really light colored and there was a few darker like this one.

Adams

[Richard Stern]

Hi,

I agree with the comments people have posted about a beautiful image. However, I'm reasonably sure it isn't a Sanderling. Sanderlings become very white looking early in the season - around July- August, and neither juveniles nor adults in basic plumage would have a mantle that looks as brown as this bird, especially in late Fall. Whatever this bird is, it seems to be an adult in basic plumage, and despite the lack of a bill or legs to help with the field marks, I would like to suggest a Dunlin - which often hang out with Sanderling at this time of year, are about the same size, and would have head markings, shape and body coloring that would fit with this bird. Would do nicely for one of those difficult "photo quiz birds" that appear frequently in birding magazines!

Richard

[Massimo Grion]

Good, good! One question though: I'm always wondering which is the best way to compose/crop a shot like this one: better leaving more space above, or place the subject in the vertical centre?

[Melvin Grey]

I agree with Richard's comments above, this bird is almost certainly an adult Dunlin in winter plumage.
Melvin

[Wayne Richardson]

Hi Adam

While I agree that this isn't a Sanderling, I don't believe it's a Dunlin either!

The race of Dunlin to be found in Florida, i.e. Calidris alpina hudsonia, is the only one of 7 subspecies that can ID'd in winter (basic) plumage. Fine streaks along the flanks, e.g. pretty much as shown on the sides of the breast on this bird, distinguishes it from all other races.

So given the choice between one of the other Dunlin races (occuring as a vagrant) or the common & widespread Western Sandpiper, I'd go for the latter.

Cheers: Wayne

[Richard Stern]

Hi,

Interesting comment, but I'm sticking with my original ID! I can't think of any plumage of Western Sandpiper that matches this bird, and indeed at this time of year an adult should be in basic plumage, and much grayer than this, with no brown tones. To me, everything else matches a Dunlin. Actually, if Western Sandpipers (which breed in W. and NW Alaska) can make it so easily to Florida, why can't pacifica Dunlin?

Richard

[Wayne Richardson]

Hi,

Interesting comment, but I'm sticking with my original ID! I can't think of any plumage of Western Sandpiper that matches this bird, and indeed at this time of year an adult should be in basic plumage, and much grayer than this, with no brown tones. To me, everything else matches a Dunlin. Actually, if Western Sandpipers (which breed in W. and NW Alaska) can make it so easily to Florida, why can't pacifica Dunlin?

Richard

Hi Richard

Your comments above & on your previous post are acknowledged. On most aspects, except the ID, I agree with you. However, in response to a couple of points you have raised:

• The brown tones could be a result of saturation either at capture or post-processing. I recall that some slide emulsions were notorious for recording greys as (warmer) shades of brown. Colour shift &/or white balance are very pertinent issues with on-line ID assessments & this is why I prefer the jizz approach to 'birding on the web'.

• The Pacific Golden Plover also breeds alongside Western Sandpiper &, as far as I am aware, it has not been recorded on the Atlantic coast of America. There are several other shorebird species, e.g. Bar-tailed Godwit, in the same general area that winter in Australia & New Zealand. The point I'm making here is that the likelihood of vagracy is determined more by the (normal) migration route & not the start point.

• If it is a Dunlin, then has to one of the other races & will be a vagrant to Florida. As I was writing that particular sentence, I was not actually thinking of pacifica, but races that breed in NE Canada, Greenland & Iceland.

Unless Adams has other images of this bird, then we'll probably have to agree to disagree. :D

Cheers: Wayne