This cute guy is a little more than seven inches long and we’re a bit worried about him (sex assumed).
He’s been here alone for almost a week, and it’s not usual for small Sandpipers to be alone. He’s also been hunting a quickly-disappearing live food supply along Great Cove’s pebbly shore. He can fly well, but doesn’t seem to be inclined to take a trip south. The days are getting colder, but he doesn’t seem to be getting the message.
Do you know which Piper he is? We weren’t sure and had to call in one of Brooklin’s black-belt birders, Kim Ridley, for help. If this were a Wheel of Fortune game and the board showed S_ _ _ _ _ D, what letters would you pick? Yes, he’s a Spotted Sandpiper without spots – a silly juvenile in fall plumage.
Thanks, Kim. (Brooklin, Maine)