Solitary Sandpiper

Top Photo: Solitary sandpiper feeds on north side of wetlands. The only shorebirds I’ve seen here at the museum are spotted sandpiper, killdeer and solitary sandpiper. Both spotted and solitary drop in on their respective ways north and south while migrating. I don’t see them every year. They’re more likely to stop in when the water’s low enough to expose mud along the edges of the pond. Though I have viewed them each briefly when the only thing above waterRead more

Strictly For the Record

It’s September and if we’re going to see a solitary sandpaper, or any shorebirds here at the Museum, there’s a good chance it’s going to be in September. And so it was on 8 September. It was closing time and I was making the rounds. I spotted a small white object perched on a rock in the Wetlands. It had to be a shorebird, either spotted or solitary sandpiper. I took out my camera, had a look through the viewfinder and zoomed in. Sure enough,Read more

Water needed! Or is it?

The water in the Wetlands is as low as it’s been for more than four years. Normally, most of the Wetland’s stumps and snags are not apparent, being covered by the water. But each day more and more water is lost to evaporation. The low water level is both good and bad. The lower water concentrates tadpoles and fish, making their capture more likely by herons, kingfishers, raccoons and other predators. That’s good for the predators but bad for theRead more

Spotted Sandpiper

A Spotted Sandpiper stopped in at the Museum on Saturday (4/7/11). We don’t often see shorebirds at the Museum, so whenever one does show up it’s worth mentioning. Spotted Sandpipers are one of four species I would expect to see here. The other three shorebirds likely to be seen are Solitary Sandpiper, Killdeer, and Least Sandpiper. All but the latter have been seen. I’m waiting patiently for the Least Sandpipers to arrive!Read more