Dateline: Early September 2022
Back to Gull Point with some lovely sandpipers out on the mud flat – although more grassy than muddy due to dry conditions.
Based on yellow-green legs and small size, Least Sandpiper:
Front view – plenty of breast streaking on this individual:
Dark legs = not a Least Sandpiper. Coloration appears wrong for Western Sandpiper, so based on similar size, probably Semipalmated Sandpiper:
“Scaly” look due to white feather fringes suggests juvenile.
Group shot – note the overall color tone difference: brown/rufous vs. brown/black:
Two Semipalmated in the back/midground, Least in foreground:
Final shot – beak seems long for Semipalmated Sandpiper, so ?
[Edit: bonus video:
[Editor’s Note: music = tired of listening to wind noise #crappy_in_camera_mics]