{"id":55570,"date":"2019-01-07T05:49:04","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T12:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=55570"},"modified":"2025-09-06T14:02:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T19:02:04","slug":"spotted-sandpiper-on-the-gulf-coast-thinking-back-on-warmer-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/01\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-on-the-gulf-coast-thinking-back-on-warmer-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotted Sandpiper On The Gulf Coast – Thinking Back On Warmer Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpottedSpotted Sandpiper on an exposed oyster bed – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/160, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

On winter mornings like today where here in Utah the temp is barely above freezing, where rain is falling instead of snow and the wind is howling outside my window at between 21 and 27 mph it is easy to drift back in my mind to Florida where I could be in the water with birds every month of the year.<\/p>\n

Where even during the winter the warm sun felt great on my skin and and sitting low in the water to photograph birds was a joy I hope I never forget.<\/p>\n

In January of 2009 I found a place at Fort De Soto County Park<\/span><\/a> where I could sit in the water of an inlet and photograph nonbreeding Spotted Sandpipers as they foraged in exposed oyster beds at low tide.<\/p>\n

The Spotted Sandpipers there weren’t nearly as skittish as the ones I photograph here in Utah, Idaho and Montana that often take off as soon as I spot them.<\/p>\n

There were times that if I sat real still the Spotted Sandpipers would come so close to me that I could barely fit them in the frame.<\/p>\n

I remember hoping at that time that some day I’d be able to photograph this species in breeding plumage and after I moved back out West again I saw those hopes come true plus I’ve even photographed the chicks of these butt-bobbing sandpipers.<\/p>\n

This morning I’m thinking back on warmer days where I took photos of Spotted Sandpipers on the Gulf Coast as they scurried among those oyster beds looking for food and somehow I feel just a little bit warmer looking at this photo and the howling wind doesn’t seem quite so loud.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Spotted Sandpiper photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This morning I’m thinking back on warmer days where I took photos of Spotted Sandpipers on the Gulf Coast as they scurried among those oyster beds looking for food and somehow I feel just a little bit warmer looking at this photo and the howling wind doesn’t seem quite so loud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":154615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,2000,504],"tags":[2209,4004,5229,5132,173,6930,4246,6929,6928,3521,992,3975,274,2407,3996],"class_list":["post-55570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-spotted-sandpipers","tag-actitis-macularia","tag-adult","tag-coast","tag-coastal","tag-gulf-coast","tag-inlet","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-oyster-bed","tag-oysters","tag-sandpiper","tag-sandpipers","tag-shorebird","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-spotted-sandpiper","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-oysters-mia-mcpherson-4710.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-esi","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2186,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/04\/10\/shorebirds-spotted-sandpipers\/","url_meta":{"origin":55570,"position":0},"title":"Shorebirds: Spotted Sandpipers","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Spotted Sandpipers are fun to watch as they walk along the shoreline as they teeter, bob and bounce their rear ends up and down.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spotted Sandpiper perched on oysters in some rip rap at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-perched-oysters-mia-mcpherson-florida-4707.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-perched-oysters-mia-mcpherson-florida-4707.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-perched-oysters-mia-mcpherson-florida-4707.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-perched-oysters-mia-mcpherson-florida-4707.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":87112,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/08\/my-first-of-season-spotted-sandpiper-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":55570,"position":1},"title":"My First Of Season Spotted Sandpiper Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I took my first of season Spotted Sandpiper photos yesterday morning high in the Wasatch Mountains as I sat in my Jeep next to a creek.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling adult Spotted Sandpiper, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-adult-stump-calling-mia-mcpherson-4590.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-adult-stump-calling-mia-mcpherson-4590.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-adult-stump-calling-mia-mcpherson-4590.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-adult-stump-calling-mia-mcpherson-4590.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8294,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/05\/05\/spot-the-sandpiper-on-the-seawall\/","url_meta":{"origin":55570,"position":2},"title":"Spot The Sandpiper On The Seawall","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It really isn't too hard to spot this Spotted Sandpiper on the seawall, I just thought it was a catchy title. I saw my FOY (first of year) Spotted Sandpiper this past week and that got me excited.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spotted Sandpiper on a seawall at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8398.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8398.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8398.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8398.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35305,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/02\/07\/an-alert-spotted-sandpiper-in-nonbreeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":55570,"position":3},"title":"An Alert Spotted Sandpiper in Nonbreeding Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This alert Spotted Sandpiper was photographed at Fort De Soto County Park in January of 2009 as it walked down some rip rap towards the water.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An alert Spotted Sandpiper on rip rap at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8403.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8403.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8403.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/spotted-sandpiper-nonbreeding-mia-mcpherson-8403.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":150461,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/07\/18\/spring-spotted-sandpiper-in-breeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":55570,"position":4},"title":"Spring Spotted Sandpiper In Breeding Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 18, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Back in May I was delighted to photograph this fluffed-up Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage while I was near the water at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage at Sequoyah NWR, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-1103.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-1103.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-1103.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-1103.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":143249,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/05\/07\/surfing-spotted-sandpipers-on-the-arkansas-river\/","url_meta":{"origin":55570,"position":5},"title":"Surfing Spotted Sandpipers On The Arkansas River","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw something I\u2019d never seen before, Spotted Sandpipers riding fast-moving logs down the Arkansas River while foraging! 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