Aug 18
by Admin in Alibaug 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Sandpiper, shoreline bird, Terek Sandpiper, wader

Terek Sandpiper record shot, Alibaug

The Terek sandpiper is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus. It is named after the Terek River which flows into the west of the Caspian Sea, as it was first observed around this area. This bird breeds near water in the taiga from Finland through northern Siberia to the Kolyma River, and migrate south in winter to tropical coasts in east Africa, south Asia and Australia, usually preferring muddy areas. Its long upcurved bill – somewhat reminiscent of an avocet’s, but not as strongly curved – makes it very distinctive. As the scientific specific name implies, this wader has a grey back, face and breast in all plumages; a white supercilium may appear more or less distinct. The belly is whitish and the feet yellow; the bill has a yellowish base, with the rest being black. It feeds in a distinctive and very active way, chasing insects and other mobile prey, and sometimes then running to the water’s edge to wash its catch. This species is classified as least concern by IUCN.
Read More
Aug 18
by Admin in Alibaug 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, great knot, knot, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, shoreline bird, wader

Great Knot wing spread, Alibaug

The great knot is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to Australia. This species forms enormous flocks in winter. The species is recorded in low numbers in western Alaska most years, and has occurred as a vagrant in British Columbia, Oregon, West Virginia, and Maine. These birds forage on mudflats and beaches, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat molluscs and insects. This species has short dark legs and a medium-length thin dark bill. Breeding adults have mottled greyish upperparts with some rufous feathering. The face, throat and breast are heavily spotted black, and there are also some streaks on the rear belly. In winter the plumage becomes uniformly pale grey above. This species is classified as Endangered by IUCN.
Read More
Aug 18
by Admin in Alibaug 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, great knot, knot, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, shoreline bird, wader

Great Knot jumping looking at plovers, Alibaug

The great knot is a small wader. It is the largest of the calidrid species. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. Their breeding habitat is tundra in northeast Siberia. They nest on the ground laying about four eggs in a ground scrape. They are strongly migratory wintering on coasts in southern Asia through to Australia. This species forms enormous flocks in winter. The species is recorded in low numbers in western Alaska most years, and has occurred as a vagrant in British Columbia, Oregon, West Virginia, and Maine. These birds forage on mudflats and beaches, probing or picking up food by sight. They mainly eat molluscs and insects. This species has short dark legs and a medium-length thin dark bill. Breeding adults have mottled greyish upperparts with some rufous feathering. The face, throat and breast are heavily spotted black, and there are also some streaks on the rear belly. In winter the plumage becomes uniformly pale grey above. This species is classified as Endangered by IUCN.
Read More
Aug 18
by Admin in Alibaug 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, ruddy turnstone, shoreline bird, wader

Ruddy turnstone pair, Alibaug

The ruddy turnstone is a small wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria. It is now classified in the sandpiper family Scolopacidae but was formerly sometimes placed in the plover family Charadriidae. It is a highly migratory bird, breeding in northern parts of Eurasia and North America and flying south to winter on coastlines almost worldwide. It is the only species of turnstone in much of its range and is often known simply as turnstone. In all seasons, the plumage is dominated by a harlequin-like pattern of black and white. Breeding birds have reddish-brown upper parts with black markings. The head is mainly white with black streaks on the crown and a black pattern on the face. The breast is mainly black apart from a white patch on the sides. Non-breeding adults are duller than breeding birds and have dark grey-brown upperparts with black mottling and a dark head with little white. The ruddy turnstone breeds in northern latitudes, usually no more than a few kilometres from the sea. The ruddy turnstone has a varied diet including carrion, eggs and plant material but it feeds mainly on invertebrates. Insects. It often flips over stones and […]
Read More
Aug 18
by Admin in Alibaug 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Eurasian, eurasian oyster catcher, eurasian oystercatcher, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, oyster catcher, oystercatcher, shoreline bird, wader

Eurasian Oyster catcher landing, Alibaug

The Eurasian oystercatcher also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or palaearctic oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family. The oystercatcher is one of the largest waders in the region. It is 40–45 cm (16–18 in) long, the bill accounting for 8–9 cm (3.1–3.5 in), and has a wing-span of 80–85 cm (31–33 in). They are obvious and noisy plover-like birds, with black and white plumage, red legs and strong broad red bills used for smashing or prising open molluscs such as mussels or for finding earthworms. Despite its name, oysters do not form a large part of its diet. The bird still lives up to its name, as few if any other wading birds are capable of opening oysters at all. This is a migratory species over most of its range. The European population breeds mainly in northern Europe, but in winter the birds can be found in north Africa and southern parts of Europe. Although the species is present all year in Ireland, Great Britain and the adjacent European coasts, there is still migratory movement: the large flocks that are found in the estuaries of south-west England in winter mainly breed […]
Read More