Sandpipers?

I was killing time in between clients today and spotted these birds - I think they are a Sandpiper, but I don't know what variety. Resin, are you around???!!!

I had great fun photographing them!

Another shot

And another

Same two, different "view!"

Murmur,

I don't know if what you post are Sandpipers, but I love Sandpipers! I do know that they are small birds who run very fast and flee quickly from the approaching waves. I don't have any pics from FL last January, since they're so fast.

Do you live close to the Ocean? Lucky you if you do!

Marilyn

The little beach I was at today (about four miles from my home and where I often eat lunch or kill time) is part of Holmes Harbor, which is part of Puget Sound, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. So while we don't get the wonderful crashing waves, etc., that one gets at the ocean, we do get some ocean type birds. I've been searching my books and I think it's a Western Sandpiper (which would certainly make sense!!!!).

great shots. I am terrible on winter phase sandpiper ID's They look like Dunlins or Purple Sandpipers to me but that's just a guess. Don't know if you have them up there in winter

Murmur,

Meant to say in my previous post; great pics! ;-)

I thought Dunlins too but I'm not experienced at all with shore birds.

Neither of those varieties are listed in my Audubon book (it's mainly for this area). It says it is the western counterpart of the Semipalmated Sandpiper . . . so I'm still guessing - but thank you!!!

Yep, Dunlins

Resin

Resin, do you know why they wouldn't be listed in the bird books for the Pacific Northwest (Washington coast, more or less)?

Murmur, I think the weather patterns are changing so rapidly that most of the zone maps can't keep up with it. You see so many birds outside their normal areas now.

Yep, it is the coldest here in the 9 years we have lived here.
I need to go to the beach and see what is there.
Great pics, Murmur.

Thanks, Resin, I will take your word for it. No pages missing in any of the books I have (all are geared to Western birds), but I haven't seen you wrong yet!

Trois, hope you got to the beach today or can soon - it amazes me what I do get to see!!

Thanks, all, for the help and the nice words!!

Ice storm forecast for tonight. I think I will stay home.

Omigosh yes!!!! Stay safe and warm.

Resin, another question, please. How can you tell it's not a Western Sandpiper, Calidris mauri? The birds pictured have a clear white breast. Is the beak too long for a Western piper?
Thanks

Claypa, thanks for asking that question, too. I wish I could find a picture of the Dunlin, but I can't. I went to the Washington State Ornithology website and got a list of birds that just boggled my mind!! It does indeed list the Dunlin, but there are no pictures.

A lot of these shorebirds are really hard to identify, and there are so many. Try just typing 'dunlin' in whatever search engine you're using. The trick is to find a picture taken in winter

yes get a winter pic. They are so different looking in summer. I will try tomorrow to find the pics I have of summer Dunlins and some I know to be winter Dunlins. DH is a sleep so I don't dare risk going through all my disk in the bedroom. Will check to see if i have them loaded to webshots now

link to my pic of winter Dunlin
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1050553709039658816jqcdJu

link to my pic of summer Dunlin
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/1142670304039658816AtSoJy

Your winter dunlin picture makes me think the light exposure in Murmur's pictures may obscure some of the brown breast feathers. My camera drives me nuts with that. What a handsome creature...

Donna, outstanding pics - thank you! The difference between Summer and Winter Dunlin is incredible. I assume you didn't wake DH??!!

Claypa, thanks for your help - you might be right about the light exposure . . . it was sunny with snow around. But from anything I can see here, the bill of the Dunlin is longer than the Western so the ones in my pics must indeed be the Dunlin.

I still smile thinking about them yesterday - common or not, they just delighted me!

I went to www.birdphotography.com and found the exact picture of a Dunlin that matched mine - whew, at last!!

no Murmur I found that i had them posted in my webshots albums from a couple of years ago. Have been out picture taking between major back surgery in May of 2005 and then losing our home to Hurricane Katrina. I have some pretty good pics of all kinds of birds, duck,herons and other water bird if you would like to see them
http://community.webshots.com/user/1birdylady

Donna, I'm headed to bed, but look forward to looking at the pics tomorrow!! I'm so very sorry you lost your home to Hurricane Katrina - and hope your back is being kind to you.

Thanks again for helping with the i.d.

Hi Claypa,