sandlóa, lóuþræll, and lóa

  

A few shorebird photos from Iceland.  Above, sandlóa (in Icelandic) or Common Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula).  (I really enjoyed hearing their calls.)

Next, a juvenile lóuþræll or Dunlin (Calidris alpina):

 

 

  

And two different views of lóa or European Golden-Plovers (Charadrius apricaria).  Although they were often feeding in grassland sites, we also saw them roosting among rockweeds.

 

 

 

 

 

Flocking together

  

Part of a large flock of shorebirds in Bodega Harbor this morning (21 January 2025) -- mostly Sanderling (Calidris alba) and Dunlin (Calidris alpina), with some Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) mixed in.

Trio

  

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.

Line of Dunlin

  

Dunlin (Calidris alpinus) in Bodega Harbor, 8 December 2023 

 

In the harbor

  

A couple of quick shots from a shorebird survey in Bodega Harbor today (18 November 2022).

Above, a mixed flock, mostly Dunlin and Least Sandpipers.  (They were trying to evade a Peregrine Falcon.)

Below, a Wilson's Snipe -- it's a distant shot, but after 18 years of doing these surveys, it's the first time I've seen a Wilson's Snipe on the tidal flats.  In this area, I more often I encounter them in freshwater wetlands (for an example, see this post from last February).

 

 

For scale

  

A quick shot from Westshore Road along the Bodega Harbor shoreline today (18 May 2022).  It's always helpful to have examples of different species side-by-side to appreciate their different sizes.

Four species of shorebirds — Dunlin (lower left), Western Sandpiper (smallest, low center), Red Knots (four at lower right), and Marbled Godwits (in back).

Red-backed

  

Along with the Red Knots yesterday, there was a mixed flock of shorebirds including Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri).  Dunlin are a bit larger, with a longer bill, and in breeding plumage they have a black patch on their belly and bright rufous feathers on their backs.  There are two Dunlin in the photo above; the rest are Western Sandpipers.  

I had trouble finding a Dunlin that was in full view (not partially hidden by the surrounding birds), but here's one closer view (below).  While Dunlin are overwintering in Bodega Harbor, their upperparts are primarily gray, so it's always nice to see their new feathers coming in during the spring.  The beautiful rufous color on their backs in breeding plumage led to an older name for them = Red-backed Sandpiper.

 

 

Holiday flight

We went for a beautiful morning walk at Limantour Beach today (27 November 2020).  Nice light and wonderful flocks of shorebirds (especially Sanderling and Dunlin).  I couldn't choose just one picture, so here are several.  Enjoy!  [You can click on them for larger versions.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeding together

Another quick shot from the shore of Bodega Harbor (on 14 October 2020) — this time of a mixed flock of shorebirds.  How many different species can you find in the photo below?  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

 

 

I've circled four species of sandpipers below:

 

 

 

From left to right —

In red:  Sanderling (Calidris alba)

In yellow:  Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

In green:  Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)

In blue:  Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

Year-end reflections

 

Mixed shorebird flock in Bodega Harbor, 29 December 2018 — primarily Sanderlings (Calidris alba), with a few Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and Dunlin (Calidris alpina).  [You can click on the image for a larger version.]

 

One of these things...

...is not like the others:

 

 

Sanderlings (Calidris alba) and one Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Salmon Creek Beach, 9 May 2017

Persistent northeast gales

It was windy today, but the rain let up.  We didn't let the marine forecast for "persisent northeast gales" deter us.  We went for a short walk along the south side of Morris Island in Chatham, Massachusetts.  Here's the view from Morris Island looking south towards South Beach (below).  A lot of sand has shifted and things have changed quite a bit since I was last here in 2013!

 

We encountered a nice flock of shorebirds along the shoreline, including this Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus):

 

And a few juvenile Dunlin (Calidris alpina):

 

 

(With a Sanderling on the left for comparison)

 We were sad to leave Cape Cod, but we'll be back!

Resting time

Some of the sandpipers that feed in Bodega Harbor at low tide leave to rest on outer coast beaches during high tide.

On 15 November 2012, hundreds of Dunlin were roosting on Salmon Creek Beach.  

 

 

If you look closely, you'll also be able to spot a few Western Sandpipers here and there (smaller and grayer, with shorter bills —  easiest to find in the photo above and especially in the next image).

 

These pictures were taken from a distance so as not to disturb the birds during this important downtime.  Sometimes I visualize this in an unusual way — imagine what it would feel like if every time you tried to relax in your house, someone opened the door, flushed you outside, and made you run around the yard (again and again).  We all need a little rest now and then!

Sky and water

Mixed shorebird flock, primarily Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and Sanderlings (Calidris alba).  

Salmon Creek Beach, 20 October 2012

This image started to remind me of M.C. Escher's woodcut called Sky and Water I.

To the tundra!

Beautiful views of two shorebirds at Van Damme State Park (just south of Mendocino, CA) on 9 May 2012.  Both are on their way to the Subarctic and Arctic tundra for the breeding season.

 

 Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

Note the slightly decurved bill, the rufous coloration on the cap and back, the black belly (barely visible in these photos, but distinctive).  Dunlin used to be called "Red-backed Sandpipers".

 

 

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

Red-necked Phalaropes are one of the smallest seabirds (~18-20 cm long).  They spend approximately 9 months at sea, wintering in the Humboldt Current off Peru and Ecuador.

During the spring migration they can be seen on shore after windy conditions.  This individual was swimming, bathing, and feeding in tidepools and surge channels.

 

 

 

Note the amphipod being held at the tip of the bill.

Phalarope means "coot-footed."  It's a reference to their lobed toes (see photo below).

Shorebirds and American Pipit on Salmon Creek Beach

Beautiful views of shorebirds on Salmon Creek Beach today.  At low tide they feed on the tidal flats in Bodega Harbor, but during the highest tides flocks of sandpipers and plovers can be seen roosting on the outer beach.

Black-bellied Plovers roosting among driftwood (they only have black bellies in breeding plumage during the spring/summer/fall).

Black-bellied Plover in front of a flock of Dunlin.

Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlin for size comparison.

Western Sandpiper

Flock of shorebirds against the waves.

American Pipit feeding on flies among piles of drift algae and eelgrass.  Pipits are one of the most common songbirds on the beach during the winter.

Snowy Plovers

Today I spent some time with shorebirds in Bodega Harbor.  I was trying to find banded Snowy Plovers.  The Point Reyes Bird Observatory is interested in tracking known individuals.  During the past year I have seen about 10 different banded plovers -- some that were banded to the north (Humboldt, Oregon) and others that were banded to the south (Salinas, Vandenberg AFB near Lompoc).

Here are two Snowy Plover photos -- one close up, and another with bands (blue/aqua/blue on the left leg and white on the right leg).  This bird was banded at the Tahkenitch Area of the Oregon Dunes in 2010.

Thousands of shorebirds spend the winter in Bodega Harbor.  The last photo shows a flock of Dunlin (primarily) flying by during the flood tide.