Greater Yellow Legs?

[JayinMN]

I am not 100% sure what this bird is but according to my field guide thats the closest thing I can come up with. Any ideas?

[Steve Foss]

Jay, it's a toss up for me. GYLs are significantly larger than LYLs, but without a size reference it's tough to know.

The GYL has longer and slightly upturned bill than the LYL, which would in this bird make me lean toward the GYL, but GYLs also have more extensive and bold barring along the flanks, and this bird shows the spotty and faded barring of a LYL, so that field mark makes me lean toward the LYL.

The GYL is stockier than the LYL, too, and this bird definitely looks on the husky side so, on balance, I'll lean toward the GYL with a hefty amount of uncertainty in there.

How about giving us an easy one next time!

[jonny_redhorse]

Lol!...You beat me to it Jay!...Yes ,it appears to be a greater yellow legs and I watched him feeding back and forth along the snow covered swimming beach also this morning!... ...I set up my tripod next to the life gurads stand and snapped a few.... ...birds really a celebrity,cameras snappin all over the place!

[Steve Foss]

If that's the same bird Jay shot I'm going to definitely say GYL. One or two of these views shows the flank barring to be heavier than the first two views.