Least Sandpiper
Dummy me... Here I was thinking this was a Western Sandpiper but I thought something was amiss. I noticed that this bird didn't have quite the rust color of the Western. In a conversation with a fellow photographer about this bird I realized I had it wrong. This is a Least Sandpiper, smallest of the peeps, and the yellow legs are one clue to the species of this bird.
So, a new bird for me! Part of the difference was in behavior. This bird was not and did not fly with the larger flock of Western Sandpipers from what I saw. It and a few others kept to themselves. I had to go back to my Western Sandpiper photos to make sure I didn't miss identify any of them.
Taken 9 May 2021 at Homer, Alaska.
Least Sandpiper
Dummy me... Here I was thinking this was a Western Sandpiper but I thought something was amiss. I noticed that this bird didn't have quite the rust color of the Western. In a conversation with a fellow photographer about this bird I realized I had it wrong. This is a Least Sandpiper, smallest of the peeps, and the yellow legs are one clue to the species of this bird.
So, a new bird for me! Part of the difference was in behavior. This bird was not and did not fly with the larger flock of Western Sandpipers from what I saw. It and a few others kept to themselves. I had to go back to my Western Sandpiper photos to make sure I didn't miss identify any of them.
Taken 9 May 2021 at Homer, Alaska.