Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpipers!

[Nicks Pics]

I've been going through my photos from earlier times, (seems to be the season to do that) and got finally got around to working on some of these little shorebirds I had shot last summer. The photos weren't top-quality to start with, but I've done some work in editing, so let me know if you have any comments. Shot with my Fuji SL1000.

These queer little birds were wading about in a flooding I frequently visited. I think it was migration time for these guys when we saw them, because these species breed only farther north than Michigan, so I think they were passing through on their way down.

Identification can be hard with these shorebirds but I think this first three are Solitary Sandpipers



But they weren't being solitary, there was group of them



You can see what kind of things they were hunting for- some kind of little grub things



They had a habit of bobbing their heads up and down, this one was thus occupied while he was standing on a log. I got the motion in a video, but it's hard to show with a photo,



There were also some Lesser Yellowlegs (I'm pretty sure about that ID) among the group. They liked to strut about in a way as to show off their long yellow legs.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[GBO25]

Nice series. One and five would be my favourites.
In #2 the reflection of fits eye keeps dragging my attention down. It's a pity you couldn't have got the entire reflection but as it is I think I'd be inclined to crop up a bit remove it.
I like the action you've caught in #5.

[Downrigger]

Very nice. I'm with Graham on preferences, and suggestions about the eye reflection in the second.

[NorthernFocus]

Nice set. I'm not on a calibrated monitor at the moment so won't comment on the processing. Also for some reason I can't see the first image. All of the comps are well done. I believe the last one is a greater yellowlegs. They are hard to tell apart. One characteristic is the size of the beak which corresponds with the names. I've managed captures of both in the past and judging by length of the beak I'd suggest this is the greater variety. But it's hard to tell. They lift their feet high when they walk in water.

[Nicks Pics]

Thanks John,

Thanks Graham, Mark,

I know what you're saying about the reflection, I felt like I had almost enough of a reflection to try to keep it, otherwise I might have done a slightly different crop. Maybe I'll try it without, because it might be better without.

Dan, Thanks for the comments

Okay, I don't know for sure about which yellowlegs it is. Sorry, I think some of my titles were confusing, I didn't post any shots of more than one bird in it together.

[IzzieK]

I cannot find a favourite, try as I may. I like them all because they are all differently shot. I just thought that in #1, you should have blur the leaf on the legs so that the leg will be more recognizable. As is, unless I expand it in lytebox, I can't seem to get a grasp of it. Don't recognize any of these as I am not much into birdies and identification. Ask me about fossils instead as I have a book of IDs for them...

[NorthernFocus]

I'm far from a bird expert. I just try to figure out what I've shot after the fact. Don't want to hijack your thread so here are links to:

greater YL

lesser YL

[Nicks Pics]

I cannot find a favourite, try as I may. I like them all because they are all differently shot. I just thought that in #1, you should have blur the leaf on the legs so that the leg will be more recognizable. As is, unless I expand it in lytebox, I can't seem to get a grasp of it. Don't recognize any of these as I am not much into birdies and identification. Ask me about fossils instead as I have a book of IDs for them...

Thanks Izzie, Yeah, I think the photo(s) could use a little clean-up, if I were inclined to do so. The birds were feeding on mud flats around a flooding which sometimes does, and sometimes doesn't have water over it, so there was quite a bit of vegetation sticking up and making my photos a little messy. Glad you liked them.

I'm far from a bird expert. I just try to figure out what I've shot after the fact. Don't want to hijack your thread so here are links to:

greater YL

lesser YL

Thanks for the reference photos. ID is part of the fun of nature photography, now that I remember, I was able to ID a few random things I've shot before while I was browsing your galleries one time- a crab spider and dwarf dogwood.

[NorthernFocus]

Hey, Nick. The lesser YL shot that I linked was taken under similar conditions that you describe and you can see similarly messy grass etc. YL are known for feeding around farmland etc. more so than in coastal area. I think they pick up insect larvae etc. that come up out of the ground when normally dry ground gets temporarily flooded.

Yeah you pick up quite a few tid bits over time as the photo portfolio expands to more species.

[Suzan J]

Hi Nick: I am also not a bird ID expert, but I'm sure you're right about the Solitary Sandpiper. I had to check back in my spring files and saw that I took a similar shot on 13 May 2014 at a small, slow, and muddy river bank. At the time, I did not know what it was and after googling, I was certain it was the Solitary Sandpiper. (I am in Slate River Ontario, near Lake Superior shore) It is difficult to make a bird of this colour stand out from the background, but you have done quite well with that. I particularly like the shot of the bird holding his "grub lunch".

[Nicks Pics]

Hey, Nick. The lesser YL shot that I linked was taken under similar conditions that you describe and you can see similarly messy grass etc. YL are known for feeding around farmland etc. more so than in coastal area. I think they pick up insect larvae etc. that come up out of the ground when normally dry ground gets temporarily flooded.

Thanks for the explanation, that's probably why they were finding such good eating there, the water was high at the time, if I recall correctly.

Hi Nick: I am also not a bird ID expert, but I'm sure you're right about the Solitary Sandpiper. I had to check back in my spring files and saw that I took a similar shot on 13 May 2014 at a small, slow, and muddy river bank. At the time, I did not know what it was and after googling, I was certain it was the Solitary Sandpiper. (I am in Slate River Ontario, near Lake Superior shore) It is difficult to make a bird of this colour stand out from the background, but you have done quite well with that. I particularly like the shot of the bird holding his "grub lunch".

Thanks for the comments. The other most likely candidate for these birds was the spotted sandpiper, which is generally more common, but yes I think they were actually solitary sandpipers this time, even though they weren't being "solitary". I have found more than once birds known for being solitary in large groups. As I mentioned, I think these birds were in migration when I saw them but where you are, they could have been in breeding ground (according to range maps).