BIRD 3
Here we have a wader with a shortish, very slightly downcurved bill. This bill instantly removes several shorebird types from the equation, including the snipes, curlews, godwits and plovers. This is some sort of sandpiper-type wader. The pale (greenish-yellow) legs rule out most of the Calidris species, and the streaked plumage combined with a slightly down-curved bill rules out the Tringa species, including Redshank and Wood Sandpiper. This bird looks more like a Ruff, but the fine white stripes on the back are not present on Ruff. The crouched gait, the attenuated rear end, pale legs, white stripes on the back, and the streaked breast abruptly abutting the white belly all point to this being a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper.
KEY FEATURES Smallish head, slightly downcurved bill Attenuated rear end Neatly patterned plumage with white Vs on back Streaked breast forms ‘pectoral band’