Adult Spotted Sandpiper walking on exposed creek bed – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1000, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I haven’t seen any Spotted Sandpiper chicks so far this breeding season but that doesn’t mean they haven’t hatched yet. Last week while I was up in the Wasatch Mountains I had an adult Spotted Sandpiper fly in and land on a creek bed that has been exposed because the flow of water has decreased substantially since most of the snow in the mountains has melted. The sandpiper was in my view for less than a minute before it took off.
I like the extremely long shadow of the sandpiper and how it had its foot raised.
As I drove along the canyon there were places where I could hear adult Spotted Sandpipers calling to their young near the creek below me and the dirt road I was traveling on. So I know that some of the chicks have hatched, I just haven’t been near enough to photograph them. Last year I noticed that when the adults were watching over their chicks they repeat a soft call intermittently which might be a way of letting their chicks know that they are safe to forage. I looked for that call on xeno-canto.org but didn’t find the exact call I was looking for to share here. Perhaps I will be able record that call myself this year if I am lucky enough to have both adults and chicks right in front of me.
Fingers are crossed!
Life is good. Stay safe.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Spotted Sandpiper photos plus facts and information about this species.
Nice clear shot.
Hope you get the opportunity to record that call. 🙂
that shadow shot is brilliant.
I do hope you can capture the ‘all is well’ call too.
Thanks for sharing these places and their feathered wonders. A great wake up in the morning!