Western Sandpiper

 

July 5th

          Perseverance pays off!  After all the driving we did two days ago, neither one of us was too enthused about going back to the Lorain impoundment.  This morning I was busy trying to catch up on yard work, but while we were eating lunch, Mike noticed that a Western Sandpiper had been spotted in Lorain.  This is a very good bird for Ohio so after a little debate, we decided to chase it.

          We arrived at the impoundment and immediately saw several birders there.  This was a good sign, and it turns out the Western Sandpiper was still there.  We got great looks at it and could compare it to a Least Sandpiper that was also present.

 A Western Sandpiper is a small sandpiper with black legs and a long black slightly drooping bill.  Breeding birds have a rusty cap and rusty mottling on the back.  They nest mostly in Alaska, and many migrate along the Pacific coast, but significant numbers move through the interior of the country.  The Western Sandpiper winters on both U.S. coasts and as far south as southern South America.

(1 new species, total for the year 277)

Western Sandpiper (scarce)  

                                             Western Sandpiper

      Compare Western and Least Sandpiper

 

 

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