Spotted Sandpiper

[sparroweye]

Well, someone had asked if a sandpiper with it's head in the
sand would be considered "feeding" or "eating" for the photography contest. I took this one yesteday of two sandpipers with obvious food in their bills but the picture is not that
interesting or colorful. With my camera's I would have to
get very lucky to capture a great photo of a bird feeding. But
it could happen. Some of my favorite photo's have been pure
luck. Enjoy.

[sparroweye]

Nope, might be a Rock sandpiper or a type of Plover. I am
new to identifying shore birds.

[Michael Frankis]

Sanderlings, in summer plumage. Not a plumage one sees very often (unless you live in the high arctic!), so it is an easy one to be confused by.

Very nice!

Michael

[sparroweye]

Thanks. I just found that in my Golden Guide to Birds of North America book. It seems by the cross hatching that they only
pass through here in Spring and Fall. I am a novice. I appreciate
the identification.

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Sparroweye,

There should be a thin blue line round the Florida coast, showing that they're with you for the whole of the winter on the beaches. The difference then is that they're in winter plumage, which is pale silvery grey above, rather than patterned black, white & orange, and with a white head. The winter plumage is much more familiar!

Sanderling are very interesting birds in one respect - there is hardly any beach, anywhere in the world, where they can't be seen! Yet they nest only in a few small areas, as close to the North Pole as they can get and still be on land.

Michael