Matthew Feargrieve Shorebirds

Juvenile birds arriving in Europe from late Sept will remain on wintering grounds through to their 3rd cy, and will breed only in their 3rd cy, so can be distinguished in the spring of their 2nd cy from older birds (moulting into their breeding plumage, preparing to return to breeding grounds) by the faded notching on their tertials, contrasting with the fresh plumage of older birds.

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Partial J-moult typically does not involve tertials, and much juv plumage is retained until year-end, with GCs retained through to spring. Juvenile tertials have yellowish spotting or dogtoothing, contrasting with winter adult tertials which have faded brownish-grey barring.  

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First winter (1w) birds have fine streaking on breast, whitish belly with fine light brown streaking, faded (notched) or unfaded (spotted yellow) tertials. Central tail feathers have fine barring. Some yellow always visible on upperparts, and yellowish fringed coverts (especially on juvenile GCs which are retained to spring).

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Winter adults have overall brownish-grey look, with faded barring on tertials, and whitish fringing to tertials and coverts. Like winter Curlew, look for uniformity between tertials, GCs and lower scapulars:

 

grey- brownish, barred and faded = winter adult.

 

grey-brownish barred tertials contrasting with yellow-fringed or notched tertial/scapulars/mantle = 1w (early winter).

 

Note that 1w birds will (by Nov) appear more faded and less tidy than adults as winter progresses, because adults will have a full post-breeding moult, (whereas 1w will have had a partial post-juv moult): so by mid to late winter, 1w will be looking more worn (primaries, tertials and coverts) with feather tracts less neat than adults, which will look fresher with neater tracts.

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Note also that Grey Plover do not breed until their third calendar year, and so 2cy birds will show plumages that are intermediate between non-breeding and adult breeding.

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