I didn't have a lot of time, but as I was leaving work tonight there was nice light on the shorebirds in Bodega Harbor. I'm always a fan of pictures that make it easy to compare species, so here's one with three species of sandpipers. Can you find all three?
Most of them are Sanderlings (Calidris alba) -- there are a dozen of them, the palest of the three species.
On the right side of the photo, in the foreground and background, there are two Dunlin (Calidris alpina) -- they're a little bit larger, with a little bit longer bill, and much browner coloration.
And the last one? In the foreground the 4th bird from the left is a Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) -- the smallest of the three species, darker than Sanderlings but lighter than the Dunlin.
Thanks for pointing out their differences again! I enjoy watching these birds scurrying across the sand among the encroaching waves, but never remember their different names.
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