- Jul 17 9:00 pm
#88284
A few days ago I took a walk out onto the mudflats to see what birds are out there.
Basically, the Shorebirds are now returning south and there were some large flocks of swirling birds. (There was also a Peregrine Falcon, a bird which stimulates flocking ball behaviour.) I wasn't trying to ID all the birds, but to (again) test the Sony RX10-IV. However, I noted some Least Sandpipers (with yellow legs) and some Western Sandpipers (with some nice orange and black feathering). These species will be present for some time.
However, the reason for this post is to note the presence of Semipalmated Plovers. These small Plovers behave differently than the other small migrants. They fly about in small, presumed family, groups. They are much more wary than the above two-mentioned species. And they won't be present for very long. I did hear some large Plovers calling and the small Peeps take their flight cues from the calls of these larger Plovers. Often the larger Plovers are out at the water line and the small Peeps scuttle around them. The Semipalmated Plovers are more often seen closer to the dyke, doing their own thing. So if a Semipalmated Plover is a Lifer for you, now is the time to search one out.
Basically, the Shorebirds are now returning south and there were some large flocks of swirling birds. (There was also a Peregrine Falcon, a bird which stimulates flocking ball behaviour.) I wasn't trying to ID all the birds, but to (again) test the Sony RX10-IV. However, I noted some Least Sandpipers (with yellow legs) and some Western Sandpipers (with some nice orange and black feathering). These species will be present for some time.
However, the reason for this post is to note the presence of Semipalmated Plovers. These small Plovers behave differently than the other small migrants. They fly about in small, presumed family, groups. They are much more wary than the above two-mentioned species. And they won't be present for very long. I did hear some large Plovers calling and the small Peeps take their flight cues from the calls of these larger Plovers. Often the larger Plovers are out at the water line and the small Peeps scuttle around them. The Semipalmated Plovers are more often seen closer to the dyke, doing their own thing. So if a Semipalmated Plover is a Lifer for you, now is the time to search one out.