Wood sandpiper

Wood sandpiper

Similar to the green sandpiper but lighter brown in appearance, with larger spots on the top side, longer legs, a narrow-striped tail and sparse stripes on the chest and sides. A pale brow stripe extends behind the eye and the legs are yellowish-green. In flight, the wings’ pale undersides are visible and the toes extend entirely past the tip of the tail. In the summer, the top part of the adult bird is irregularly marked with little white and cream spots, whereas in the winter, the plumage is greyer and more uniform.

Common redshank

Common redshank

The legs and base of the beak are red, the top side is brownish, the chest is striped, the sides are spotted, there is a bright ring around the eye and short eyebrow stripe. During flight, the wide white trailing edge of the wing and the white oblong-triangular preen gland area are visible. In the summer, adult birds have thick, slightly irregular specks and streaks on both the top and undersides; however, in the winter, the top side and breast area are brownish-grey.

Northern lapwing

Northern lapwing

The Northern lapwing is a pigeon-sized wader with a stout body and a unique long thin tuft on its nape. The dark top part of the plumage looks slightly green and purple with a metallic sheen, while the underside is white. The wing tips are impressively wide with white feathers below and dark above. In the summer, male birds can be recognised by their longer tufts and pure black throats and faces, while females have shorter tufts and a smaller black mark on the front of their necks that is slightly mixed with white. In the winter, the feathers of adult birds at the front of the neck and beneath the chin are white, while the top part and covert feathers are slightly cream-coloured at the tips.