sharp-tailed sandpiper

Practicing for Swan Lake perhaps .

Taken at the onset of the falling tide. In the foreground, from left to right: terek sandpiper, sharp-tailed sandpiper, two lesser sand plovers, red-necked stint, another lesser sand plover and a bar-tailed godwits. Two more tereks and two more godwits in the background.

Several around but this the only one coming into breeding plumage .

large numbers of bar-tailed godwits were gathering on the mudflat at the start of the ebb, with other waders joining (here a terek sandpiper, a sharp-tailed sandpiper, a couple of common greenshanks and a whimbrel).

Out of the several Sharpies on the day this one looks as though it is wearing either a wig or toupee

sharp-tailed sandpiper on mudflat during incoming tide

One of our reasons to head to Goolwa last weekend was to see just how many migratory shorebirds (waders) have arrived. The net result was disappointment. About 6 sharp-tailed sandpipers like this fella and 2 Greenshanks, having looked in the areas of the Goolwa Barrage, the Murray River mouth...

Quite a number of these around which were much more obliging than the Sun was while taking shots .

A few of these turning up at the moment .

My lifer Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (#509), a juvenile found the day before at the Los Angeles River Willow St. crossing in Long Beach, California. iPhone photo, taken through my spotting scope.

The commonest wader around here.

Another migratory bird, at the same location of Jawbone Coastal Sanctuary, a friend from Birdline Australia ID'd it for me and referred to it as a 'Sharpie'.... I was lucky as it was close to my side of the waterway.:).... I'm not very good with shore birds so quite pleased to see a variety of...