May 27, 2004
Sanderling
Feel as though i've missed out on the bulk of spring migration 04, but found a few consolation birds today. Left work early and set about finding shorebirds since it felt like a shorebird kind of day...right time, right place, early AM storms, SE wind! First several stops produced nothing but Killdeer. One was parked on eggs in the lot at the local youth football field. As i unwittingly approached, the bird got up, lowered its head, fanned out its wings, puffed itself up and charged me head on, screaming threats and insults. so much for the 'broken wing' routine...i was truly afraid of this bird for a moment and left promptly. Anyway...about that sanderling...
First stop at Lake Nockamixon was the Tohickon Boat Access, since there's like 50 feet of narrow stoney shorline there. Best (and just about only) "shorebird habitat" in the park. And there she was...a nice little Sanderling. I agonized briefly over it being a biggish weird Semipalm sandpiper, cuz i like to be accurate. As she worked the shoreline, she moved ever closer, and wound up pretty much at my feet, which was really cool, and decidedly Sanderling-like. I flinched oh so slightly and she ran away as if i were the fast approaching tide. Don't see Sanderlings often cuz the shore is like 2-3 hours away and i'm lazy...and not much of a beach person to boot. Funny how a familiar bird out of place can confuse you! In the end, it was still a sanderling, which is a new Nockamixon bird for me (#236)...yay!...
Looking for worms:
Looking at me:
Looking at a vulture (i think...)
Also present at Nockamixon Wednesday were 3 Common Loons, a late Red-breasted Merganser, and several migrant gulls, including Herring and several Ring-billed (seen by Cameron Rutt toward dusk).