Text & Photo © Christoph Himmel
On 17 August 2017 I discovered an odd looking sandpiper during a wader study in Gyzylagach. I photographed the bird, but it flushed while approaching to get a better view. Bad luck, but at least I had some record shots.
The first feature which made this bird so interesting, were the wings extending well beyond tail and the striking supercilium, so this would fit a White-rumped Sandpiper. But after checking the pics no flank streaking and no yellowish lower mandible base was visible, so at this time it was not certainly identified.
I showed the pictures to several people, but didn’t receive a certain identification, so postponed any activities concerning the bird ID after finishing my survey. At the beginning of December I posted the pictures in the “I ❤ Shorebirds” group on Facebook and received a fast and clear ID, White-rumped Sandpiper, which supports my first intention.
I want to thank Rick and Elis Simpson, Dave Bakewell and Andrew Baksh for helping me with the ID.
Birding Azerbaijan 
Dear Christoph, I would be interested to upload one image to the news I just prepared citing your website at the First Country Reports section of the Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Let me know whether you give me permission to my email address, jlcopete AT hbw.com
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