The Spotted Sandpiper is a cute little shorebird often observed along rivers and lakes. I saw this one recently along the edge of a lake and photographed it from my kayak. There may have been more than one. I only saw one at a time over the course of three days. They are always bopping their tail up and down and they peep when they fly. It’s a distinctive peep in their habitat making them easy to find.
Spotted Sandpipers are migratory shorebirds. They spend winters in the southern US and Mexico and breed from Alaska to New Mexico and to the east coast of the US and Canada. I often see them in the summer near mountain lakes and streams where they nest and raise their young. This is the second year I’ve observed them at this lake and the first time I’ve seen them perched in conifers. They are darned cute birds, bobbing their tails up and down and they have cute calls too.
As I watched and photographed the Virginia Rail family (see last post), there were other birds singing and foraging in the marsh. I heard the familiar song of a Willow Flycatcher and was delighted to see it out in the open where I could easily photograph the tiny Empidonax flycatcher. If it had not been singing, I would have struggled with the ID. Song Sparrows were hopping along on the algae mats, foraging for what, I don’t know. There were three or four of them and some were probably young of the year. A Spotted Sandpiper joined the group, also foraging on the algae mats. And last, but not least, a Common (not so common in my mind) Yellowthroat sang from a prominent perch, giving me great views. Most of these images are heavily cropped as the birds are small and not that close.
The girls and I enjoyed a very pleasant walk to a normally busy lake yesterday. We got off to any early start so had the place to ourselves for about an hour. There are still a few wildflowers and the huckleberries are getting ripe. Willow and Sky and I all had little treats along the trail. It was really lovely.
And clearly, I have a favorite rock. And a favorite Spotted Sandpiper too.
Whether dog walking, paddling my boat or sitting around camp, I enjoy watching and listening for birds. Sometimes they are only heard and not seen and I don’t always know the songs or calls but I keep trying to remember them. Maybe that’s a good thing for an aging brain?
From the tiniest Yellow Warbler to the fearsome Bald Eagle, they are all interesting. I am especially happy with the image of the Ring-necked Ducks. You can actually see the ring, if you look close, on the male. And the spotted goose is probably a leucistic Canada Goose. The Song Sparrow and the Yellow Warblers sang from morning til evening, but not quite as persistently as the American Robins. I frequently heard the Spotted Sandpipers call as they flew along the lake’s edge. They are fun to watch as they bob their tail up and down when they are searching for food.
My Everyday Photos 