View allAll Photos Tagged westernsandpiper
Marina Park Pathway, Emeryville, CA A Sanderling, located at the bottom center of the picture, is mixed in with a flock of Western Sandpipers in flight.
Small sandpiper with relatively long, droopy bill (longer on females). In breeding plumage, shows rich rufous tones on shoulders, cheeks, and crown. Nonbreeding is plain pale gray above and white below. Juveniles look pale-faced and have a bright strip of rufous feathers on the upper edge of the wings. Most similar to Semipalmated Sandpiper, which averages shorter-billed and duller grayish-brown overall. Extremely difficult to distinguish in winter; note Western is somewhat larger-headed and more front-heavy. Droopy bill might recall Dunlin, but Western is smaller and paler. Breeds on high Arctic tundra in Alaska. In migration and winter, occurs in large flocks on mudflats and beaches. Much more common in western North America; uncommon to rare on the east coast. Occurs in the winter in the U.S., unlike Semipalmated Sandpiper; regularly winters as far south as Peru, rare to Chile. (eBird)
We missed the shorebird migration by a couple of weeks, so were very pleased to come across this Western Sandpiper on the mudflats.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. May 2022.
Eagle-Eye Tours - Ultimate British Columbia.
Réalisé le 08 avril 2023 à High Island Beach, Texas, USA.
Cliquez sur la photographie pour l'agrandir / click on the photograph to enlarge it.
Taken on April, 8th / 2023 at High Island Beach, Texas, USA.
Another high key style image.... These guys are so tiny.... I purposely left it small in the frame.... taken with 840 mm equivalent and it still does not fill much of it.
Part of a large flock of Western Sandpipers that graced Tsehum Harbour for a few days last spring.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
Especie de Ave #137 subido a Flickr
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Pequeña ave playera migratoria originaria de Alaska, que visita cuerpos de agua de diferentes zonas de El Salvador
Estas aves se alimentan en los fangales en lagunas, estuarios y costas marinas durante la migración y en las estaciones no reproductivas, sondeando con el pico o recogiendo el alimento a la vista, generalmente invertebrados marinos. Durante la estación de crÃa se alimentan en la tundra y en las praderas húmedas. Comen principalmente insectos, pequeños crustáceos y moluscos.
So there were these two sandpipers hanging out in a grassy area of a large regional park. The area had gone underwater from our unusual heavy rains, so it was pretty crazy to see the birds take advantage: mallards, teals, egrets. And really unusual is that the two sandpipers paid absolutely no attention to me. Definitely the closest I've ever been to a Western Sandpiper. I posted the other, a Least Sandpiper, awhile back.
I believe that this is just a Western Sandpiper. It looks so different from the one I posted a couple of months ago that it confused me... I can easily be lost with the peeps identification. The one I posted earlier looks like a juvenile while this one taken in Tofino in May is most likely an adult in breeding condition.... I am far from being an expert and I would appreciate being corrected is this is not accurate. Thanks
This Western Sandpiper steps through the mud, looking for food. Its bill is muddy too, showing plenty of dredging through the mud for the bivalves they love to eat which are right at the surface.
Taken 7 May 2021 at Homer, Alaska.
Taken in southwestern British Columbia, Canada by David.
The muted tones of a Western Sandpiper in winter plumage provide perfect camouflage amongst a bed of seashells.
David
This Western Sandpiper was migrating through Homer to the Yukon Delta when I snapped this shot of it. It was just at the minimum focus distance for my lens and gave me a fantastic look. I had to laugh as they actually would, on occasion, run right past my legs as I sat on a stool, taking it all in. I would be urging some of them to get far enough away that I could take their photo ;) This bird is in breeding plumage and ready for the season!
Taken 12 May 2021 at Homer, Alaska.
I go to the shorebird festival at Homer each year to see the migrating birds. I love to watch the peeps - a broad name for the many smaller shorebirds - in large flocks as they fly back and forth. It's wonderful and amazing to see their ability to maintain distance between each other in flight as they swirl through the air, changing direction and flock shape as they do. I try to capture flock images like this one which seems to be mostly Western Sandpipers.
Taken 4 May 2023 at Homer, Alaska.
In their breeding grounds, you can find them in the tundra. Most of the time they are invisible and if one is not careful, can step on their nest.
Special thanks to Brian (www.flickr.com/people/brianzwiebelphotography/) from sabrewingtours.com/ for his expert guidance, otherwise this photo would not have been possible.
This Western Sandpiper in breeding plumage is working the mud flats of Kachemak Bay at high tide. Flocks of these birds are moving through Homer on their way to the Yukon Delta where they will breed for the summer before returning South.
I've been in Homer for the week and will return for another week, hoping to glimpse more of the birds migrating through.
Taken 7 May 2021 at Homer, Alaska.
Western Sandpiper (Calidris Mauri)
I thought it was a Sanderling on the rocks and made a good pic. Turned out to be another Life Bird. They all look the same to me, so shoot everything and identify later. Stone Harbor Point NJ.
Taken near Fort Myers, Florida.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving any comments or faves, they are very much appreciated.
This Western Sandpiper works to take to the air with it's fellow peeps while a Dunlin works the mud flats in the background.
Taken 5 May 2023 at Homer, Alaska.
I'm sure something similar was running through the Sandpiper's mind as it approached...or perhaps bodies on the beach? We were flat to the earth enjoying a small flock of Western's walking around us.
These little guys are like speed demons when they walk. Lucky for me one pauses to check out the clicking noise. Taken here in Colorado
Western Sandpiper plying the coast feeding.
Breeding adults have black, brown, rufous, and gold upperparts, with white underparts marked with extensive dark arrow-shaped streaks. They have a rufous crown and ear patch, and dark legs and bill. Nonbreeding adults are pale gray above, whitish below. Juveniles are similar to nonbreeding adults but the upperparts are more vivid in the wings, showing gold and rufous edges to feathers.
Forages by walking slowly through mudflats and similar habitats and pecking or probing to obtain tiny invertebrate prey. On breeding grounds, males perform multiple flight displays to the females. The females depart before the young have fledged and winter farther south, on average, than males.
Hundreds of western sandpipers were sitting on the shore when all of a sudden they decided to take flight! It was so amazing watching the patterns as they flew around enjoying the day.
This Western Sandpiper found a good-sized food item while probing in the sand of Wickaninnish Beach, Pacific Rim National Park. There were thousands of this species in that protected area on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, in late April en route to their breeding grounds in northwestern Alaska, USA.