Shorebird School

Bonaparte’s Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia

White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis

White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis (front)
Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
(Note difference in size, wing length, flank streaking...)

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus

Sanderling Calidris alba

Sanderling Calidris alba

American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica

Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

  Went with George up to RN de Pointe-Yamachiche yesterday, where there’s been some interesting shorebird action of late. I’ve never been a shorebird whiz, although I encountered my share of waders in Korea. My Canadian shorebird game is even weaker, so I’d planned on boning up before the trip. Unfortunately I passed out last night before I could do my homework, so I was woefully underprepared when it came to basic stuff like leg colour, leg spur vs. none, etc. Nothing like shorebirds to make you feel like a newbie. It’s humbling, and refreshing.

  I had my nose in my Sibley’s for much of our time on the beach, and I felt like I learned a lot yesterday.  Hopefully from now on I’ll be able to separate Leasts from Semipalms, and White-rumped from Sanderlings. Unless of course, my shorebird factoids are stored in the same brain coil as warbler songs, in which case they’ll be flushed down the crapper within months, and I’ll have to re-learn it all again next year. Learning is fun, so I’m cool with that. Being a goldfish isn’t so bad.

  We had nine shorebird species to puzzle through, and ended up with a species count in the mid-40s. It was weird seeing Sanderlings in something besides winter plumage (like in Korea). We both got lifers on the day, good times.