Bird Notes 072220 (Killdeer, Semi Palmated Plovers, Sanderlings)

While I have spent a fair amount of time up here over the years, this is the longest continuous stretch ever, certainly as an adult, certainly as a birder. Generally the best time to vacation up here is August-September, green heads are gone, water warms up, and after labor day there's still a few weeks of tourist free summer to enjoy.  What I have noticed is how much variation there is in the Bird population. At first I was a little concerned, with climate change and disappearing bird population happening I admit I feared the worse, but what I was seeing was simply the ebb and flow of migrations over different times than I was used to. First thing I noticed was the lack of Snowy Egrets. I've seen only one or two individuals so far this summer. Here's one on upper Chauncey Creek.



What about Sandpipers ? There are always sandpipers ! Except they're not. Checking eBird shows that they turn up just about now. Just like clockwork, I saw the first small flock last last week, a few individuals a few days later, now they're a common sight on the beach.



Semi Palmated Plovers arrived two or three weeks ago and are ubiquitous.



Kildeer seem to have been here all summer or at least since early June. Bring large-ish birds with some interesting behavior, the most famous being the fake broken wing display to lead predators away from their nests. Laast night there was a territorial dispute between a couple of them that made for an interesting display.



This evening on the point was a (I think) the first Spotted Sand Piper of the summer. Behavior and field marks check out, but it wasnt doing its characteristic booty dance.



A useful mnemonic for those of you unfamiliar with the Spotted Sandpiper booty dance