Shorebird Migration

Shorebirds are beginning to migrate through the area as they move from their breeding grounds further north. Plum Island, at the mouth of the Merrimack River, is a popular stopover. This Whimbrel was foraging at the southern shore of the island when I spotted him. They are not a rare bird but sightings are not very common. The long curved beak is impressive!

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This was first time I was on the beach this summer as the entire ocean-side beach of the Parker River NWR is closed from April 1 until when the nesting Piping Plovers have finished raising their chicks. There was a juvenile plover running around not far from the Whimbrel.

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A common shorebird in Massachusetts this time of year is the Yellowlegs. Two individuals of the larger species, Greater Yellowlegs, were foraging along a channel at low tide. They actively hunt small fish and run along the water’s edge, scooping up minnows.

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Two other Greater Yellowlegs were hunting near some American Black Ducks and Mallards.

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A very large flock of hundreds of shorebirds flew over the marsh while I was photographing birds in a large pond. The flock had two separate species that were mostly grouped together by species but had a few “visitors” in each group. The Semi-palmated Sandpiper portion of the flock had a few Semi-palmated Plovers mixed in. The plovers are the ones with a stubby beak and a collar. There was a single Lesser Yellowlegs flying along with the plover portion of the flock. It stands out by its relative size.

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The two Yellowleg species are really hard to distinguish unless they are standing next to each other. The Lesser is decidedly smaller. The Greater has a longer bill in proportion to its head than the Lesser. Sometimes it is really hard to decide though!