At the end of the day today (2 August 2021), I was helping Eric prepare for class tomorrow when I spotted a small group of shorebirds including a sandpiper that I thought could be a Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii). I didn't have binoculars or a camera at the time, but afterwards I went back for a quick photo. Here are the first two images:
After taking these pictures, I realized this was an adult —
note the worn feathers on the back —
and that I'm not sure whether I've seen an adult Baird's Sandpiper before.
Adult Baird's Sandpipers generally leave the high arctic regions and migrate through the central part of the country to South America. Most of the Baird's Sandpipers on the coast are juveniles.
P.S. I feel pretty good about this identification, but since I haven't seen adults of this species, if you have a different opinion about the identity of this sandpiper, please let me know!
ADDENDUM [3 August 2021]: I've received some feedback that this might be a Sanderling rather than a Baird's Sandpiper, so the identification might change. I'll also try to find the bird again to get a better look at a few characteristics!
ADDENDUM #2 [3 August 2021]: I'm leaning towards Sanderling, too, at this time. I agree that the wings don't look long enough for a Baird's. In the photos I also noticed a slight hint of red on the breast, which would be a better match for Sanderling. I didn't think I saw a lot of white in the wing when the bird flew, which wouldn't be a good match for Sanderling, but I didn't have much time and perhaps I didn't get a good enough look to evaluate the wing pattern. The breast looked very brown, and I wasn't expecting to see such a worn Sanderling at this time of year, but there you go! I should have given this one a more serious look before suggesting an i.d. last night, but it's also a good example of identifying species that can look similar in some cases. For some juvenile Baird's Sandpiper photos, check out these posts:
One useful characteristic for identifying Sanderling is the lack of a hind toe (Hallux). All the other shorebirds have a hallux.
ReplyDeleteBreeding plumage Sanderling very quickly molt into their basic plumage here in the fall so it is not a common plumage to see here.