[mou] sandpiper photos and behavior question

[Mike Hendrickson]

The semi-palmated Sandpiper picture is actually a Bairds Sandpiper.

Here is are ID features on this bird that point to Bairds Sandpiper.

1. The wing tips go beyond the tail and cross over each other like scissors.
2. The bird has long legs for a Semi-palmated Sandpiper and it also has a
very horizontal look to it.
3. The bill is slightly curved downward towards the tip and a Semi-palmated
Sandpiper has a shorter black bill and looks real stubby. Sort of like a
pencil,
4. The buffy coloration which it gives it a bib look is what you'll see on a
fall plumage Bairds Sandpiper.

So the bird is a Bairds Sandpiper and when you see them on the beach or at
mud flats the yhave this very uniform pattern on it mantle. I call it a
dotted look but the size of the Bairds is smaller than a Sanderling but a
Bairds is slightly larger vs Semi-palmated.

I love you Buff-breasted Sandpiper pics. I wish I had your camera when the
S. Gull flew by!

Mike Hendrickson
Duluth
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Mansfield" <bikebirder75@yahoo.com>
To: <mnbird@lists.mnbird.net>; <mou-net@cbs.umn.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 2:36 PM
Subject: [mou] sandpiper photos and behavior question


> September 12th Ben and I braved the winds and spatter on Park Point,
> and were rewarded with mixed flocks of Sanderlings and Buff-breasted
> Sandpipers.  I counted 37 Sanderlings and four Buff-breasteds, but
> there were probably more of both species: birds were constantly coming
> and going between the dune grass/beach pea and the wrack line.  Only a
> few birds remained long outside of cover.  I couldn't blame them.
> Thousands of ladybugs were crawling in the wrack, too; little orange
> bodies dot all the images.
>
> http://198.174.119.50/tmp/20040912/index.html
>
> Top photo of the set is a Semipalmated Sandpiper (as far as I know)
> from August 14th on Park Point.  That big bill caught my eye, as did
> the bird's fairly bright coloration, but what caught my attention even
> more than its looks was the fact that it defended its feeding territory
> against the other Semipalmated Sandpipers.  It held a stretch of
> shoreline about 20 feet from end to end, and would call and fluff its
> feathers and then fly at any intruder (all of which were juv.
> Semipalmated Sandpipers).  This was the only time I've seen a migrating
> juv. Semi chase its own kind off, as far as I can remember.  But then I
> don't see many shorebirds any more.  How common is this behavior among
> Semis?
>
> Chris
>
> =====
> Chris Mansfield
> Richfield, Hennepin Co. MN
> bikebirder75@yahoo.com
>
>
>
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