Sure Shorebird Delights: Stilt and Solitary Sandpiper

[Southeast Michigan. Late Summer/Early Fall 2020]

As certain as songbirds are in Spring, shorebirds are a surety in Fall. The intrepid birder lives the birding year in consonance with the graceful grammar of avian movement.  And, between August and October, a proud parade of sandpipers and plovers pass through stopover hotspots around Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. 

Accordingly, in this post, we shall profile a number of remarkable species such as:

1. Stilt Sandpiper
2. Lesser Yellowlegs
3. Solitary Sandpiper
4. Pectoral Sandpiper
5. Semipalmated Sandpiper
6. Sanderling
7. Short-billed Dowitcher
8. Black-bellied Plover
9. Killdeer
10. Semipalmated Plover

We start with the Stilt Sandpiper:

One could easily be forgiven for committing the misdemeanor of misidentification with the Stilt Sandpiper. An eBird checklist submitted for Lake St. Clair just before this observation reported a "Short-billed Dowitcher" where only the Stilt was present.    

This errant eBirder is deserving of our fullest empathy -- what birder can claim identification infallibility in the field? The bill is indeed long and the legs a dull yellow -- both not unlike the Short-billed Dowitcher (here seen in SW Florida):

Yet, the Stilt's bill is shorter and the legs, longer; the white eyebrow is significantly more prominent. Despite this distinction, the fog of confusion did not entirely dissipate as another sandpiper came into view -- feeding in the same area as the Stilt:

Sharing many similarities with the Stilt Sandpiper, the Lesser Yellowlegs, however, has brighter yellow in the legs and a straighter bill.

A side by side comparison between the two is instructive:

Other shorebirds seen at Lake St. Clair included Solitary Sandpiper:

The prominent eyering and darker, olive, back sets this smaller apart from Lesser Yellowlegs. 

In contrast, Pectoral Sandpiper is smaller and has a heavily streaked breast:

This is a handsome sandpiper and is seen in the US only in passage unlike the next shorebird which can be found overwintering widely in the Southern US:

The Least Sandpiper is aptly named and has dull yellow legs and a pointed, slightly drooping bill.

Vying for the smallest shorebird trophy is also the Semipalmated Sandpiper:

The bill is blunt, not pointed and the legs are black; and the plumage shows less rufous.

Another pale sandpiper at Lake St. Clair shows some superficial resemblance to the Semipalmated:

Unlike the Semipalmateds which vacate US territory in winter, Sanderlings are an abundant winter visitor on our beaches.

The Sanderling is our palest sandpiper.

In addition to Lake St. Clair, Erie Marsh Preserve is another good venue for shorebirds. The assortment of species is actually richer at this venue; however, this comes at the cost of distance as the shorebirds are much farther out. 

Short-billed Dowitcher:

This individual shows a fair amount of breeding color as does this Black-bellied Plover seen at the same venue:

While Black-bellied Plover may be our largest, the Killdeer is our most familiar:

Finally, Semipalmated Plover seen at Lake St. Clair:

 

Shorebirds excite and enthrall in equal measure -- yet the joy of shorebird observation must be tempered with the very real risk of misidentification. However, for the diligent birder, these pitfalls are naught but badges of courage as they strive to distinguish cryptic plumages, leg coloration and bill shape and droop. Surely, a welcome challenge that presents itself every Fall.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: Plovers in Peril

[Glen Arbor, Lake Michigan. July 2020]

This blogger has been fortunate in the many occasions that have afforded observation of wintering plovers at several remarkable shorebird sites in Southwest Florida such as Bunche Beach, Carlos Pointe, Little Estero Lagoon and Tigertail Beach resulting in previous posts such as this one. 

Invariably, a sighting of the Piping Plover among the shorebirds has always been deemed rather special given the multitude of perils they face earning them the unfortunate distinction of being the most endangered among our plover species. Naturally, seeing the Piping Plover at its wintering grounds has inevitably raised the question -- where do these prettiest of American plovers spend their summers?

Research reveals that Piping Plovers have 3 breeding populations in the US: the Atlantic coast, Great Plains and Great Lakes. Of these, the Great Lakes population is the smallest and the most fragile. Accordingly, a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to see breeding Great Lakes Piping Plover was planned and what ensues is a photographic essay of the area species thus encountered with the centerpiece, of course, belonging deservedly to the Piping Plover.

An unbroken collar and headband mark this dainty plover in its breeding prime. Pale underparts and sandy upperparts work in tandem to make it virtually invisible against the sandy shore. 

Flying long distance on their migration route is only one of the the many hazards these plovers face in Spring. Once they arrive at their nesting grounds on the pristine beaches of the Great Lakes, it unfortunately marks the beginning of warmer weather, and with it, commences a relentless plague of further disturbance and harassment. Mindless recreationists, boisterous beachgoers, marauding dogs; charging children -- all vying to inflict the maximum physical and psychological damage on the nesting shorebirds as they seek to outdo each other in the crudity and severity of their antics while the plovers work desperately to secure the safety of the next generation.

And, here is the fruit of their tender love and care: adorable Piping chicks that look like cottonwool balls on matchsticks. 

Farther away from the shore, forested areas were productive for songbirds such as warblers and others.

First, Canada Warbler: A specialty warbler known for its unparalleled "necklace" of streaks radiating from a black collar.

The male's song is loud and consists of sweetly jumbled warbles of joy:

Chestnut-sided:

Black-and-white:

Other species observed included: Eastern Kingbird:

This is a familiar tyrant flycatcher known for its bold, aggressive behavior in defending its territory.

White-throated Sparrow:

This sparrow was singing the new version of its song as profiled in this article. 

On the drive back from Lake Michigan, we passed through the fabled nesting territory of Kirtland's Warbler:

Coincidentally, one of the things the Kirtland's shares with Piping Plover is the choice of wintering grounds -- the Bahamas. While the latter also overwinters on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, the entire global population of Kirtland's warbler is found in the Bahamas in winter.

The male was seen in close vicinity of the female as well.

The Great Lakes are deserving of the epithet "Great" not because of their enormity but because of the critical habitats they provide to iconic species that are nourished under their protection. And, nothing personifies the unique ecology of the region than the American crown jewel of plovers: the Piping Plover.