It was so windy Saturday at Presque Isle State Park, thought maybe the only thing to see at Gull Point would be a lone Ring-billed Gull. Fear not – great day for birds, including excellent plover activity.
By the first lagoon, the local Whimbrel:
By the main lagoon by the Gull Point observation platform, tough to ID, but possibly – Baird’s Sandpiper (left); Black-bellied Plover (upper middle); Least Sandpiper (lower middle); Semipalmated Sandpiper (middle right); Semipalmated Plover (far right); unknown – perhaps another Least Sandpiper (lower right):
Left-to-right (possible IDs) – Baird’s Sandpiper; Black-bellied Plover; Least Sandpiper; another Least Sandpiper; Semipalmated Plover; Semipalmated Sandpiper:
Here’s the plover from the shots above (possibly Black-bellied Plover), with another plover in the vegetation (upper right-hand corner):
Based on the brown cap, pronounced white eyebrow, brown colouration, and ‘wings extend past tail,’ the latter is believed to be an American Golden-plover:
More views of Plover, probably Black-bellied, species not 100% certain:
This may be a Pectoral Sandpiper:
Sanderling in flight, with a Semipalmated Plover on far left:
More Sanderling flying/landing:
More views of (probably) American Golden-plover:
Back at the lagoon by the roped trail entrance, with Black-bellied Plover = distinctive black under-wings. Also, note the crisp black-and-white checkerboard colouration and short tail end.
Coming up soon, more Whimbrel content! Can’t get enough Whimbrel.
love that 1 caught in flight
Thanks – even with good equipment it’s tough to get good ‘in flight’ shots, but if you take enough pictures it works out at least some of the time 😉 + luck/perseverance.