Sandpiper/peep Los Angeles, CA, USA 1/18 (1 Viewer)

[Gatheredeagle]

Hi everyone I have such trouble identifying these little things that I’m most cases I’ve given up. Any help would be appreciated!
Near Woodley Lake in the Sepulveda wildlife basin, Encino, Los Angeles County
Seen at the Los Angeles river
About sparrow sized, maybe a little larger.
I was losing light so the pictures aren’t super sharp.

 

[Indobirder]

I think 1, 2, 3 and 6 are Least Sandpiper due to the yellowish legs, and curved short bill. 1 doesn't seem to have much of a curve but it doesn't match Semi-palmated, and Baird's would have a sleeker body (and leg color is wrong)
The others might be as well. Harder to tell as the leg color isn't really visible, but shape seems the same.

Curious if others agree...

 

[Deb Burhinus]

It’s a Least Sandpiper

(x-posted with previous poster - semi-p winters in SA ( does semi-p even occur in CA, it’s a bird of the Eastern Seaboard? Especially note leg colour (straight away exc both Western, semi-p and Bairds) and structure - Baird’s is a long-backed wide squat shaped with a long tail projection, and all the latter have larger, thicker bills.

 

[Gatheredeagle]

We do have semi p during migration in California. Ugh I hate these little buggers.

 

[Gatheredeagle]

I think 1, 2, 3 and 6 are Least Sandpiper due to the yellowish legs, and curved short bill. 1 doesn't seem to have much of a curve but it doesn't match Semi-palmated, and Baird's would have a sleeker body (and leg color is wrong)
The others might be as well. Harder to tell as the leg color isn't really visible, but shape seems the same.

Curious if others agree...

So you think I have taken pictures of more than one species?

 

[Deb Burhinus]

We do have semi p during migration in California. Ugh I hate these little buggers.

In January!?

 

[Deb Burhinus]

So you think I have taken pictures of more than one species?

They all look like Least Sandpiper

 

[Gatheredeagle]

In January!?

No I was saying that they are not just an eastern seaboard bird.

 

[Gatheredeagle]

I think 1, 2, 3 and 6 are Least Sandpiper due to the yellowish legs, and curved short bill. 1 doesn't seem to have much of a curve but it doesn't match Semi-palmated, and Baird's would have a sleeker body (and leg color is wrong)
The others might be as well. Harder to tell as the leg color isn't really visible, but shape seems the same.

Curious if others agree...

Thanks!

 

[Gatheredeagle]

They all look like Least Sandpiper

Thank you

 

[rkj]

All Least Sandpipers for me. Semipalmated Sandpiper is a rare migrant in California, mostly in fall. It does not spend the winter.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

I think perhaps the combination of time of year (range) and leg colour puts this to bed without going into further details. However people could do worse than look at this helpful paper https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/nab/v038n05/p00853-p00876.pdf

Which is no substitute for field experience of course but one of the better ornithological papers I have come across on the ID of American Peeps

 

[KC Foggin]

Sandpipers for me as well!

 

[AlexC]

All Leasts indeed.

 

[njlarsen]

It’s a Least Sandpiper

(x-posted with previous poster - semi-p winters in SA ( does semi-p even occur in CA, it’s a bird of the Eastern Seaboard? Especially note leg colour (straight away exc both Western, semi-p and Bairds) and structure - Baird’s is a long-backed wide squat shaped with a long tail projection, and all the latter have larger, thicker bills.

Deb, I was certain you were going to state long WING projection for Baird's. Is this a typo or am I wrong?

Niels

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Deb, I was certain you were going to state long WING projection for Baird's. Is this a typo or am I wrong?

Niels

Ha, well spotted, yes of course, we can’t have ‘tail projections‘ can we 🤪. It’s too late to edit it now though.

 

[lou salomon]

Ha, well spotted, yes of course, we can’t have ‘tail projections‘ can we 🤪. It’s too late to edit it now though.

if tail projects we do have tail projections (e.g. common sandpiper, little ringed plover etc.)

 

[Deb Burhinus]

if tail projects we do have tail projections (e.g. common sandpiper, little ringed plover etc.)

For clarity:

The WINGS on a Baird Sandpiper project beyond the tail not other way round just in case Lou or anyone is still confused 😁

It was a typo