As the fall looms, many birds migrate. I have shown other sandpipers that were passing through: Greater Yellowlegs, a Solitary and a Least Sandpiper. Here are three more.
The Long-billed Dowitcher breeds along the Arctic coast, but winters along the southern coast of the U.S. and in Mexico. It is just refuelling as it passes through here.
On one occasion it seemed to stumble and had to use its wings to regain its balance.
A particularly uncommon visitor locally is the Buff-breasted Sandpiper.
It breeds on the Arctic coast and islands and usually migrates through the prairies to southern South America. Note its yellow legs.
Seen with the Buffy is a Baird’s Sandpiper. Note its black legs.
Both of these two sandpipers are insectivores, but the fact that they hang out together is probably the result of the Baird’s, which often travels in flocks, looking for company rather than the Buffy needing company. The Buffy is in the foreground and the Baird’s is closer to the water.
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper flies down the beach. The Baird’s Sandpiper will follow.
I listen to Birdnote on my radio station, but you can hear it here. Today they also talked about the Buff-Breasted Sandpiper.
http://birdnote.org/show/buff-breasted-sandpiper
Alistair, I’m so glad you got down to Lakeside and got photos of both the Baird’s Sandpiper and the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. In all my years of birding, I’ve only encountered Buff-breasted Sandpipers 4 times.
Wonderful pictures. As always, you lift my heart.
I have a question on a totally different topic: here* where the moon is full and it is almost Fall, why are the little frogs singing as if it’s Spring? *”Here” for me is northern lower Michigan, far from Kootenay Lake.
Leslie, alas, I don’t know why they will be singing now.