9 replies to this topic

[Gordo]

I see these little guys quite often during my birdwatching adventures at Hamilton Ontario's lakefront parks and wetlands. Unfortunately they are very skittish and take flight long before I get close enough to score a decent shot. Invariably I end up with something too blurry or small for identification due to my novice skills at ID'ing birds. I'm hoping the experts here can see enough detail in these shots to determine the exact species...

My apologies for the lousy photos but it was the best I could do under the circumstances...
(All photos are of the same bird)





This one's pretty bad but it does show a little more head & face detail...



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Any help is appreciated.

Edit: Think I have the pics figured out now

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I could not see the photos so I cut and pasted two.

[Reddragon]

looks to be a spotted sandpiper in summer plumage

[Liam]

I agree with Spotted Sandpiper, but in basic (nonbreeding) plumage. In breeding plumage they spots on the back.

The reason your photos didn't show up is because your first img tags were upper case and your second img tags were lower case. Both need to be lower case.

[Dustie]

Gordo,

Do they look like these I videoed in NW Arkansas? I was told they were Juvenile Spotted Sandpipers in a different thread.

[Gordo]

Thanks for the help, folks.

I'll be researching Spotted Sandpipers and perhaps be better prepared next time I see them. (It would help if they were a tad more cooperative.)

Dustie - I love your videos. My eyes are bad enough that I wasn't able to get any clearer image of the bird as my camera did. I know 'my' sandpiper lacked the bright patterned plumage of the ones in the video which is probably a seasonal thing as others pointed out. 'My' bird didn't exhibit any bobbing motions like the birds in the video, just walked in looping circles and figure-eights keeping its body relatively steady.

[Dustie]

Gordo, thanks for the comments on my videos. I became addicted to video when I purchased my Panasonic HDC 90SD with it's incredible x40 zoom. It was a refurbished bought off Amazon so the price was right, lower then the telephoto lens I wanted for my camera, so I went with it. Glad I did. I still want the telephoto lens thought.

I've seen these sandpipers before, and they all do the bobbing thing with their tail ends, just like the Louisanna Water Thrush that also lives along the shores of the lakes here in Beautiful Bella Vista, AR. Not sure why they do it, maybe something to do with the waves of the water and trying to blend in??

[TheBillyPilgrim]

I agree with Spotted Sandpiper, but in basic (nonbreeding) plumage. In breeding plumage they spots on the back.

All mine have spots on the breast during summer