![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYP3iqgQOeIaZ6IS8KcgBzocAERu2giAHEVcEWdRgFO3Wqr71KJVeoDqc-sLsv7K6SWV6Evt8BHl66LAnvRl_qujct8rRASLNtjz5MIqkTJOIihKGNubd_6z70BGbBlF5PfAmQtdQ9m4/s1600/EastPond-9615.jpg) |
Looks beautiful but where are the shorebirds? |
Here is the follow up to my
"Peregrines are Punks" post.
(Sigh...yeah and I know the meaning of "punk"). As readers may know, I was quite the frustrated birder having crossed the
East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge from the South End to the North End only to see 1 then 2
Peregrine Falcons spook a bunch of shorebirds, that I wanted to get a closer look at having scoped them from across the pond.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Bfit5W2PO4cwPA_AcUQhBU4Dsg1ool69GmMdLji2Su7tN1m92Q-b2FcEFN8KL3NEGch2rWSrxKcAodltwVOfvhIKAWviiFWG6xiJP6cQLL6nxJsqMl3hys0PpFWf0mvgXqtUr25o-pU/s1600/PEREFA-9998.jpg) |
These two culprits spooked the shorebirds. |
It was a frigid day and I was under dressed but I was not going to leave
without having a chance at studying the flock, so I stubbornly waited
it out. My gamble and a prayer paid off as the birds filtered back onto the pond and I
was able to study them for some time.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWLEDrwko77BN8megGHH7cSesCXyu-G29FBSx_FYh_IgSQI0fR6gQAUVwOV68kBpTUnEaqOSBPyL1yB2QqGYFt9bQP4_z97ZNFE9lTONxkGe_a3y2w1hcUS64E7raXL-yn0khCSK0Hz8/s1600/Flock-9644.jpg) |
Patience paid off as shorebirds began to return to the pond. |
It turned out that the mixed flock had some goodies. Can you tell from the photo what the flock is made up of? In the end I pulled out 1
WESTERN SANDPIPER, 3
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and a single
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, that were hidden in the flock of
DUNLINS.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhO3TelRDMV5H2dV7T9vYdffjiHYJpDc3oeu6r1k2fud_7hfVt_InvJ31ImRpndipmgPRdxX5Gc4OAPjisWRZi2CNHIs7sCrnD2typHKaFGKToYYIzFxqx_Fanyx4BDC6kCvPjy9Xm2A/s1600/Calidrid-0030.jpg) |
Can you identify the shorebirds in this photo? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheIkXyzLUrymzCMteWCUcNrvkvv08jWkpoEvxqBX6UkQZ8Fw8yiCCYj_mpqMQ_DW_82H48jydybrEYpvsgbnTBfN3zP-iE25zE4dSGiVoG5mB3ePmVijcWkktpAUpm_WvAFgaiAut9m5E/s1600/WRSA-0105.jpg) |
A White-Rumped Sandpiper was a nice surprise. |
Birding on the East Pond can be quite rewarding with patience and the time I spent with the flock got even more rewarding as 2
Pectoral Sandpipers dropped in from out of nowhere. I had not seen any on the pond as I made my way up north, so they could have just flown in or were tucked in some corner out of sight. It was nice to add to the diversity; especially since Pecs were scarce all summer. I finally left the East Pond, shivering from the cold but quite happy at being able to study the shorebirds. In a show of appreciation, I said a silent thank you to the shorebirds for being cooperative and to the Peregrines for not disturbing me :)
Tags:
Western Sandpiper,
White-rumped Sandpiper,
Semipalmated Sandpiper,
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
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