YELLOWLEGS (LESSER) ON ABACO: OUT STANDING IN THE WATER

It’s always helpful when a bird ends up with a descriptive name (after translation from the Latin binomial) that actually matches the creature. Burrowing owl, Roseate Spoonbill, White-crowned pigeon, Red-legged Thrush, Black-and-white Warbler – you know where you are at once. So it is with the Yellowlegs, the only question being whether the one you are looking at is ‘greater’ (Tringa melanoleuca) or ‘lesser’ (Tringa flavipes). Both are found on Abaco, and a single bird on its own – with no size comparison – can be a potential source of confusion.  

This last post for 2018 features the lesser yellowlegs, a winter resident, a rather off-beat choice you may think. The reason is that in clearing out some archive folders, I found some LEYE images in the wrong album. They reminded me what lovely birds they are when photographed well (so, not by me), with the subtle sheen of their plumage contrasting with their Malvolio-yellow legs.

Taking flight… we have lift-off

Apart from size, the greater and lesser yellowlegs have some not-necessarily-very-noticeable differences in bill length (in comparison with head-size), plumage and vocalisation. Here is an excellent example of the yellowlegs cousins together, to give you a comparison.

Little and Large

DO THESE SHOREBIRDS EVER GO ON LAND?

A: YES

*ALERT* AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY CORNER *ALERT*

DO YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE A PHOTO OF THE LEYE WING UNDERSIDES?

Yup. This bird was at Gilpin Pond. There aren’t many ‘underside’ photos out there. Will this do?

Q: DO THEY EVER DO PHOTOBOMBS?

A: INDEED! (BOMBING A BAHAMA DUCK)Weird blue tint due to radical colour correction for bad red algal bloom on the pond

Credits: Tom Sheley (1, 2, 9); Phil Lanoue (3); Matt Scott (4); Tony Hepburn (6); ID concealed to protect the guilty (7, 8)