Least Sandpiper – Page 5 – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

Least Sandpiper & Merlin

It was back out to Boundary Bay for the rising tide late this afternoon. There was not much around as I made my way along the beach and I was beginning to wonder if I would find anything. As I approached the pilings near 96 St. a handful of birds flew in.

Some Least Sandpipers had settled in,

… and were foraging for food in the shallow tidal pools.

Having taken the time to let them settle,

… and approaching slowly down low they let me get quite close.

The other thing to keep in mind, single shots and let them get accustomed to the sound of the shutter. You don’t want to be trigger happy and have them scatter.

After some quality time with this small group I did check out the Black-bellied Plovers and Western Sandpipers closer to 104 St. They were just to wary to let me get close. There was, however, some entertainment on the way back.

After alighting atop a tree a Merlin was soon mobbed by crows. It quickly turned the tables and started chasing them around.

After its success, it took a brief rest before moving on. Unfortunately I was just too far away to do this action justice, but fun to watch none the less.

Red-necked Stint & Others

There were a couple of interesting sightings to consider when it came time to decide where to go today. I went with the Red-necked Stint in Boundary Bay as this is a bird I have yet to see and photograph. I arrived prior to the not so high tide, but conditions along the beach were ideal for the type of bird I was hoping to see. Encouraging news from a couple of birders already there, including Kevin who initially located it, that the Red-necked Stint was present again this afternoon. Now to try and find the one amongst the hundreds of Semipalmated Plovers, Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Not having any luck from the dyke, I spent a short time out on the beach. While it was seen again by some, I was not one of them. On returning to the dyke several others birders arrived also hoping to catch a glimpse of this rare visitor. It was not long before it was located again and this time I did manage some distant views, but no photos. With all these people here to see the bird I was not about to head back out on to the beach and risk flushing it. Once everyone had good looks at the bird and were starting to leave I made my way back down to the beach. I was joined for a short while by Roger who helped in relocating the bird again, but once again no photos. After Roger left I continued on, after all there were other birds around. One first of the summer/fall,

… were some Baird’s Sandpiper. There were only a few that I saw. As noted earlier,

… there were lots of Semipalmated Sandpipers,

… Least Sandpipers,

… and Semipalmated Plovers. The next interesting photo opportunity,

… a Red-necked Phalarope.

Likely the same bird Roger had spotted while with me earlier on the beach. While photographing the Phalarope I was still watching the other sandpipers coming and going when lo and behold,

… the Red-necked Stint made an appearance.

The Red-necked Stint is a rare Asian visitor/migrant in these parts.

Needless to say this made my afternoon and a nice addition to the life photo list.

A Buffy Day

Later this afternoon I headed out Boundary Bay. I knew the tide was going to be low, but was hoping to find some of the regulars along the beach. I started off at 104 St. and headed west to 96 St. without seeing anything. At 96 St. I headed down from the dyke and out on to the beach, waiting and watching. It was not too long before I noticed a small group come in settle on the beach.

It was a small group of Semipalmated Plovers.

These are probably the smallest plovers seen around here, about 18 cm in length.

It took a little time before I got these shots.

I took my time allowing the group to be comfortable with me there.

This is probably the closest I have gotten to these tiny plovers.

Next up were some Least Sandpipers.

They are not very big either, only about 15 cm in length,

… but a couple came in fairly close.

For size comparison to the next bird of the day, here is Least Sandpiper with a Baird`s Sandpiper in the background.

The Baird`s Sandpiper is a little larger at 19 cm in length.

I ended up only about 7-8 m from this group.

While some in this group were busy foraging,

… others like the one in the background were content to rest.

Being so close to all these birds I probably spent more time just watching and enjoying than photographing.

It was now just after 6:30 pm and I decided to start back toward 104 St. Still checking out the regulars along my way, something different caught my attention as I approached the old pilings.

A lone Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

Definitely the bonus bird for the day, and as I have been discussing size of the others, the largest at 21 cm in length.

While I had only come out for, and was quite happy with the regulars,

… locating one of the rarer shore birds seen here each year was great. The Buff-breasted Sandpiper normally migrates south through the interior of Canada, but we will usually get a few sightings each fall here on the west coast.

Could not ask for a better finish to a lovely afternoon on Boundary Bay.