In today’s post, it’s back a couple weeks to the outer beaches @ Presque Isle State Park (“outer” = adjacent outer Lake Erie, vs. bayside/protected beaches like Beach 11) featuring “not so often seen at Presque Isle” Baird’s Sandpiper:
ID tips: small, w/ black legs and slightly droopy, black, short bill; buff/brown tones; wing tips extend past tail (see above), giving a slightly elongated appearance relative to, e.g., Semipalmated Sandpiper.
Next up, beautiful Sanderling @ this is probably an adult w/ transitioning plumage (e.g., still retains russet around the head neck, which is characteristic of Sanderling breeding plumage):
Following shots are more Baird’s Sandpiper x Sanderling:
