Sandpipers: Part VIII (The Last for Now)

As much as I wanted to get a blog post out yesterday, we were just too busy. We have a full house of guests, some going, some going, so I just couldn't get around to it. Today, I'll finish up with my Sandpipers, realizing that there are MANY -- especially ocean shore sandpipers -- that I either don't have a photo or a good enough photo to show you. The Common Snipe is a mid-sized inland sandpiper about the size of the Long Billed Dowitcher. There are two subspecies, one found throughout Europe and Asia, which migrates to Africa for the winter, and another found throughout North America. The North American Common Snipe winters in the southern half of the United States and Mexico, and summers in the northern half of the United States and Canada. A small pocket of year round residents can be found in central Washington, eastern Oregon,   Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Common Snipe is a solitary bird and when seen is usually at the edge of a damp, often muddy, habitat. It uses its long bill to probe deeply into the mud in search of small animals to eat. 

Common Snipe

photo taken in Eastern Oregon

Common Snipe

photo taken in Central Washington

Lastly, Wilson's Phalarope. Wilson's Phalarope is a small, but strikingly beautiful sandpiper. It summers in the northwestern United States, and migrates through the southern half on its way to the central Andes in South America. Unlike waders, the Wilson's Phalarope will often swim in a small, rapid circle, forming a small whirlpool. This  action raises up food from the bottom of shallow water. It then reaches into the outskirts of the vortex with its bill, plucking small insects and crustaceans caught up in the swirl. This method of feeding makes inland marshes, pools, lakes and river shores the ideal place to be.

Wilson's Phalarope

photo taken at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

Sandpipers: Part VII

The Black Necked Stilt is another very elegant -- even stunning -- looking sandpiper. To me they always look like they are on their way to a "Black Tie" dinner. Their habitat is salt marshes, shallow coastal bays, and freshwater marshes. Unlike many of the other sandpipers, they do not summer in the Arctic. Those found in the United States are typically migratory, summering along both the southern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific and inland, to some extent, in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and along the Mississippi River States. They also show up in arid parts of Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. They winter mostly in Mexico and Central America. The Black Necked Stilt feeds by picking as opposed to "sweeping" like the America Avocet. They are usually found in large numbers and when taking off create a marvelous photo as you can see in two of the photos below.

Black Necked Stilt

photo taken at Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

Black Necked Stile

photo taken at Mahleur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon

Black Necked Stilt

photo taken at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California

Black Necked Stilt

photo taken at Lake Cochise, Arizona

Sandpipers: Part VI

I have to admit that I really didn't get into photographing sandpipers -- shorebirds in general until I saw several very elegant looking American Avocets at Blue Lake in Washington, while I was on my way to a favorite fishing hole at Dry Falls. Here's the photo I took:

American Avocet

photo taken at Blue Lake, Washington

I was mesmerized for 20 minutes watching this beautiful bird walk around in the shallow water searching for food. Once I added the Avocet, then saw and photographed Black Necked Stilts (tomorrow) I seemed to be hooked on a great many more of nature's creatures.

American Avocet

photo taken a Lake Cochise, Arizona

As they fly off from one area to another they make a loud "weeping" sound. I always feel  I've disturbed them and so they are crying. But this is part of their nature and do so even without people around (so I am told).

American Avocet

photo taken at Lake Cochise, Arizona

The American Avocet breeds in marshes, beaches, prairie ponds, and shallow lakes in the mid-west and on the Pacific Coast of North America, nesting on open ground, often in small groups, and sometimes with other waders. A pair will rear one brood per season, with both male and female providing parental care for the young. The Avocet is migratory, and mostly winters on the southernmost part of the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. The American Avocet forages in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill from side to side in water as it looks for insects and small amphibians. As a migratory bird , it is protected under the Migratory Bird Act of 1918.

Sandpipers: Part V

As promised, on to the Killdeer. The Killdeer is a year round resident of much of the Southern and Northwest United States. It is a summer resident in the rest of the US and Canada. Unlike many of the other Sandpipers, the Killdeer can be found far from water on farmlands, open fields, or in towns. As mention with the Semi-palmated Plover, the Killdeer distracts predators from its nest by feigning a broken wing. These birds forage for food in fields, on mudflats or by sea or lake shore; and, usually by sight. They mainly eat insects. Their name comes from their frequently heard call, a high pitched sort of squeal. 

Killdeer

photo taken at Whitewater Draw, Arizona

Killdeer

photo taken at Lake Cochise, Arizona

Killdeer

photo taken at Moses Lake, Washington

Sandpipers: Part IV

I first started my wildlife photography because I was awed by the beauty and magnificence of Black Bears and Grizzly Bears. So my first years really focused on them and other large mammals. I would take a photo of a bird if it caught my attention and if I wasn't in a hurry to get the location where I was hoping to find a bear or two. I remember heading down the Washington and Oregon Coast once, toward Lewis River where the much rarer Roosevelt Elk lived. The Oregon Coast is really in and of itself awesome. So, I couldn't help stopping and enjoying the view. As I did so, I so this rather unusual black bird with a long red bill standing on a rock on the ocean shore. So, I took a photo, and continued on my trip. Here is the photo:

Black Oystercatcher

photo taken along the Oregon Coast

I promise that will be the worst photo I ever show you. But, here is a quote from the National Audubon Field Guide: The Black Oystercatcher "... can be hard to see against a background of wet, seaweed-encrusted rocks and usually forages alone ..." Now a quote from Wikipedia: "Although the species is not considered threatened, its global population size is estimated between 8,900–11,000 individuals. The Black Oystercatcher is a species of high conservation concern throughout its range (U.S., Canadian, Alaskan, and Northern & Southern Pacific Shorebird Conservation Plans), a keystone indicator species along the north Pacific shoreline, and a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service focal species for priority conservation action." Had I known any of this at the time I might have made more of an effort to get a better photo.  Hindsight, you know. Anyway, there is a lesson. Learn as much as you can about what you might see wherever it is you are going. And, as a wildlife photographer, take pictures of anything you see that you don't have a photo of already. And, pretend that it is the primary goal of the day.

Now, so as not to leave you with a terrible photo, here is a Semi-palmated Plover:

Semi-palmated Plover

photo taken at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Washington

A couple years after the Black Oystercatcher experience I headed out to the Olympic National Park and the Washington Coast again. This time a little more researched. Although no Black Oystercatchers, I found a few Semi-palmated Plovers at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. This is an area where over one million shorebirds rest and feed during their migration between South America and the Arctic. This plover resembles the Killdeer but is much smaller and has only one band on the neck. The term "semipalmated" refers to its partly webbed feet. Like the Killdeer it makes its nest on the ground; and, when approached by a predator acts as if it has a "broken-wing" to lure intruders away from the nest. Tomorrow, the Killdeer. 

Sandpipers: Part III

First up today the Dunlin. The Dunlin is a medium sized sandpiper about the size of a Starling. It nests on the Arctic Tundra and winters on both Atlantic and Pacific beaches. The Dunlin is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches. Large numbers can often be seen swirling in synchronized flight on stop-overs during migration or on their winter habitat. It one of the most common and best-known sandpipers moving along the coastal mudflat beaches. It has a uniquely characteristic "sewing machine" feeding technique. It feeds on insects, mollusks, worms, and crustaceans.

Dunlin

photo taken on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Least Sandpiper is next and it is the smallest of all the sandpipers at 6 inches. It has greenish legs and a short thin dark bill. Breeding adults are brown with dark brown streaks on top and white underneath. They have a light line above the eye and a dark crown. In winter, Least Sandpipers are grey above. The juveniles are brightly patterned above with rufous colouration and white mantle stripes. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "peeps" or "stints." Their breeding habitat is the northern typically the Arctic Tundra. They nest on the ground near water. The female lays 4 eggs in a shallow scrape lined with grass and moss. Both parents incubate the eggs. The female leaves before the young birds fledge and sometimes before the eggs hatch. The young birds feed themselves and are able to fly within two weeks of birth.They migrate in large flocks to the southern states as well as Mexico and Central America. Since they migrate such a great distance they often stop over in most of the US and Canada. They forage on mudflats, picking up food by sight, sometimes by probing. They mainly eat small crustaceans, insects and snails.

Least Sandpiper

photo taken at Willapa Bay, Washington

The Long Billed Dowitcher is medium sized sandpiper more common in the West than in the East. They migrate from the their breeding area in the Arctic and Siberia to the Pacific Coast, the South Atlantic Coast, and the Gulf Coast.  Adults have yellowish legs and a long straight dark bill. The body is dark brown on top and reddish underneath with spotted throat and breast, bars on flanks. The tail has a black and white barred pattern. The winter plumage is largely grey. They forage by probing in shallow water or on wet mud. They mainly eat insects, mollusks, crustaceans and marine worms, but also eat some plant material. They are more likely to be seen near fresh water than the Short Billed Dowitcher -- hence, the photo from Lake Cochise in Arizona.

Long Billed Dowitcher

photo taken at Lake Cochise, Arizona

Finally (for today) the Stilt Sandpiper. The Stilt Sandpiper is a small sandpiper a little larger than the Least Sandpiper shown above. It too breeds in the open arctic tundra of North America. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering mainly in northern South America. They nest on the ground, laying three or four eggs. The male has a display flight. Outside the breeding season, it is normally found on inland waters, rather than open coasts. Breeding adults are distinctive, heavily barred beneath, and with reddish patches above and below. The back is brown with darker feather centres. Winter plumage is basically gray above and white below. They forage on muddy shores, picking up food by sight, often jabbing like the dowitchers with which they often associate. Although, in this photo there is a Dunlin in the background. They mainly eat insects and other invertebrates.

Stilt Sandpiper

photo taken on Oregon Coast, Oregon

Sandpipers: Part II

The Marbled Godwit is a "crow-sized" shorebird with similar coloration to the Long Billed Curlew, except that the Godwit has a long straight - slightly upturned pinkish bill. They breed in the northern prairies of Western Canada; the Northcentral Great Plains in the United States. They winter along Pacific Coast as well as the South Atlantic Coast. They forage by probing on mudflats in marshes or beaches. Their population has declined from both hunting and loss of breeding habitat (from farming and development). They are quite noisy in flight as they migrate from the plains to the coasts.

Marbled Godwit

photo taken along Washington Coast

The Sanderling is a midsized sandpiper at about 8 inches. It breeds in the summer months on the Arctic Tundra; then migrates south to ocean beaches, sandbars, and mudflats. It is also occasionally found on lakeshores and rivers. It is a very common and widespread sandpiper and can be found on most of the world's beaches. As a wave comes in, the Sanderling runs up the beach just ahead of the breaker, then sprints after the retreating water to feed on any crustaceans and mollusks left exposed.

Sanderling

photo taken at Humboldt Bay, California

Next a series of photos of the Western Sandpiper taken at March Point on Padilla Bay in Washington State. The Western Sandpiper is a small sandpiper of about 6 inches. It has the same migratory pattern as the Sanderling. They differ from the Sanderling in their feeding patterns. They flock to areas of low tide. And so, as the tides change so do the Western Sandpipers.

Western Sandpiper

photo taken at Padilla Bay, Washington

Western Sandpiper

photo taken at Padilla Bay, Washington

Western Sandpiper

photo taken at Padilla Bay, Washington

Western Sandpiper

photo taken at Padilla Bay, Washington