These two shorebirds depend on coastal habitats in Massachusetts during migration and winter. The Least sandpiper is smaller than the Sanderling, but is not usually found out on the beach. Thanks to a tip from Richard Crossley I found out a few could still be found feeding among the Dunlin flocks on the outer beaches in late October. Sanderling definition, a common, small sandpiper, Calidris alba, inhabiting sandy beaches. Identifying Winter Sandpipers Audubon Coastal Bird Survey Training Webinar – 29 Jan 2013 ... SANDERLING: The wave chaser Reference Species - Sand-colored back.
This is a purple sandpiper (left) and a sanderling on an Oak Bluffs beach on Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Sanderlings in breeding or worn breeding are usually confused with Red-necked Stints but they are much larger than Red-necked Stints. Photo by Jari Peltomäki (www.agami.nl). A flock of Sanderlings feeding on the beach. Least sandpipers prefer tidal flats. Sanderlings feed at the edge of the surge in the foreground, while the longer legged Willets wade out into deeper water (near the top of the photo). Common Sandpiper (Marshside Marsh, Lancashire, 6 June 2004). Much has been written about the identification of Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers. LEAST SANDPIPER - “hooded” look - Yellow legs - Hunched foraging style, head See more. Drew Weber August 14, 2008 Bird Finding Tips, Identification Leave a Comment. Most of it focuses on minutia, those little differences in plumage that are indeed very helpful in distinguishing these very similar species. Little Stints rarely get confused with Sanderling because they have a hind toe which helps differentiate it from this species. For those who venture beyond their backyards and beyond the common birds, there are several groups of birds that can present challenges in … October Western Sandpipers made Easy Western Sandpiper was one of the birds I wanted to see most on a late October 2016 trip to Cape May County, New Jersey.
Western vs Semipalmated Sandpiper. A gem of a bird in spring, the rufous marbling of this species in breeding plumage can lead to confusion with Little Stint (below). Western Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper Juvenile female Western Sandpiper, Fernhill Wetlands, Forest Grove, Oregon on 18 August 2004 by Greg Gillson.
Sanderling (Varanger, Norway, 18 June 2006).