Spotted Sandpiper
The Spotted Sandpiper is a small wader. The adult has brown upperparts, white underparts with black spots, short yellowish legs and an orange bill with a dark tip. Non-breeding birds (as in this photo) do not have the spotted underparts and are very similar to the Common Sandpiper of Eurasia. The main difference is the shorter tail, more washed out wing pattern visible in flight and the normally light yellow legs and feet of the Spotted Sandpiper.
The Spotted Sandpiper is often solitary and walks with a distinctive teeter, bobbing its tail up and down constantly. When foraging it walks quickly, crouching low, occasionally darting toward prey, all the while bobbing its tail. In flight, the Spotted Sandpipers has quick, snappy wingbeats interspersed with glides, keeping its wings below horizontal.
The Spotted Sandpiper is common and widespread across most of Canada and the USA where it breeds almost anywhere near water i.e. along streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and beaches, particularly on rocky shores. It migrates to winter in southern USA and South America and it is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
The Spotted Sandpiper forages on the ground picking up food such as insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates by sight. It may also catch insects in flight and pick up earthworms, small crabs and crayfish, small fish and bits of carrion.
This bird was first reported at the Slalom Course/River Trent confluence at Holme Pierrepoint Country Park in mid-January 2018 and remained on site for most of February 2018.
Date: 24th February 2018
Location: Holme Pierrepoint Country Park, Nottinghamshire
The Spotted Sandpiper is often solitary and walks with a distinctive teeter, bobbing its tail up and down constantly. When foraging it walks quickly, crouching low, occasionally darting toward prey, all the while bobbing its tail. In flight, the Spotted Sandpipers has quick, snappy wingbeats interspersed with glides, keeping its wings below horizontal.
The Spotted Sandpiper is common and widespread across most of Canada and the USA where it breeds almost anywhere near water i.e. along streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and beaches, particularly on rocky shores. It migrates to winter in southern USA and South America and it is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.
The Spotted Sandpiper forages on the ground picking up food such as insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates by sight. It may also catch insects in flight and pick up earthworms, small crabs and crayfish, small fish and bits of carrion.
This bird was first reported at the Slalom Course/River Trent confluence at Holme Pierrepoint Country Park in mid-January 2018 and remained on site for most of February 2018.
Date: 24th February 2018
Location: Holme Pierrepoint Country Park, Nottinghamshire
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