Country lane wader?

[Spadge]

Hi all,

another split-second sighting from inside the car, I'm afraid. Hope you can help.

Nearly sunset and driving along a single track road when an oncoming bird makes a 90 degree turn to its right (my left), showing me only its underside, before diving down out of sight.

The wings made a crescent shape and had pointed tips. The belly, underwings and undertail were predominantly white.

I say 'wader' because it had a thin, straight, beak, perhaps three or four times as long as its head. (Although, seen from underneath, in a steeply banked turn like this one was in, maybe curved bills can appear straight).

The habitat is farmland with sheep and cattle grazing within sight of the lane, ploughed-up fields, a mere surrounded by scrub but also coastal, with the sea only 1km away to the north and south. The lane has grass-covered earth embankments for birds to hide behind but low enough to see over from inside the car.

My preliminary guess would be Snipe but my book says Jack Snipe are smaller. With an impression of overall size on a par with swallow/swift, which would be the better fit?


regards,


Spadge

[Twitcheruth]

Redshank? or Snipe?... I reckon Spadge!
Did you get a glimpse of the legs?

[clydebirder]

Most likely a Snipe, Jack Snipe bill is much shorter and would never appear 3 or 4 times width of the head. The actual body size of Snipe and Jack Snipe is very similar, the sizes given in the books is a bit misleading as the length includes the bill.

cheers, John

Originally Posted by Spadge

Hi all,

another split-second sighting from inside the car, I'm afraid. Hope you can help.

Nearly sunset and driving along a single track road when an oncoming bird makes a 90 degree turn to its right (my left), showing me only its underside, before diving down out of sight.

The wings made a crescent shape and had pointed tips. The belly, underwings and undertail were predominantly white.

I say 'wader' because it had a thin, straight, beak, perhaps three or four times as long as its head. (Although, seen from underneath, in a steeply banked turn like this one was in, maybe curved bills can appear straight).

The habitat is farmland with sheep and cattle grazing within sight of the lane, ploughed-up fields, a mere surrounded by scrub but also coastal, with the sea only 1km away to the north and south. The lane has grass-covered earth embankments for birds to hide behind but low enough to see over from inside the car.

My preliminary guess would be Snipe but my book says Jack Snipe are smaller. With an impression of overall size on a par with swallow/swift, which would be the better fit?


regards,


Spadge