Shorebirds are amazing!

Solitary Sandpiper, photographed Aug 15, 2024, in Didsbury, Alberta.

I have to say that I have always found shorebirds fascinating.  They typically have long bills and long legs and are found near bodies of water, both salt and fresh.  They often migrate long distances as they cannot survive in an environment where water freezes, especially along shorelines.  Most have drab colours and are not especially pretty.  What stands out about them is their behaviours.

They eat insects, algae, and whatever detritus that happens to come along with what they consume.  It's the method though that is cool.  Some stamp their feet to disturb benthos, others twirl, some have a sewing-machine action while others just run along the shoreline looking for anything to present itself, all the while avoiding the undulating surf.  Every time I have seen them in action I have been transfixed.  

I have been in Alberta for the last two weeks.  Although I have been busy with family business, I have had a bit of time to go out shooting.  I photographed the solitary sandpiper today in Didsbury.  It was foraging in the low waters of a pond in an area that normally is covered and inaccessible.  The repeated probing of the mud was rewarding it with tasty tidbits as it meandered through the sediment.  I also saw what seemed like a snipe and a dowitcher, but as they were on the wing I didn't get a good chance to identify them, little lone photograph them.  However, I was in Calgary yesterday and managed to capture a juvenile spotted sandpiper in flight.  You can see that image below.


Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com

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