Migration Visitors

I was excited to see a small group of shorebirds show up at our pond’s edge for a “travel stop” along their exceedingly long migration from South America to the far northern tip of North America. I’m not very competent at species identification of the many sandpipers, so I asked for a bit of help.

These characters are Pectoral Sandpipers. AllAboutBirds sites the following: “As with many species of shorebirds, Pectoral Sandpiper populations have declined sharply since the early 1980s,” and “…includes it on the Yellow Watch List for its declining population…. The reasons for their population decline are unknown, but loss of freshwater wetlands in migratory corridors or wintering grounds could be part of the problem.”

It makes me very happy to know that a few of these lovely birds could find a snack and a bit of shelter during their Spring migration.