Ideally, ... Last weekend Jacob and I joined *Oregon Pelagic Tours* for an all-masked The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. Note stout black bill and clean white underparts. Dunlin, October 3, 2004. Their longer legs also allow them to wade into deeper water than Dunlin. We have moved to Washington State to be closer to Marlene's family. They winter in large flocks along bays, estuaries, and coastlines. Inexperienced birds sometimes confuse Stilt Sandpipers with yellowlegs or Solitary Sandpiper, even though the bill shape is quite different. Now Dunlin are bigger, 8-1/2 inches long compared to 6-1/2 for Westerns, but that's not always apparent if there is nothing to compare with. Learn this species, and you’ll have an aid in sorting out less common shorebirds. Winter ID challenge, eBird best practicesEnter your old field lists, Forest Grove Christmas Bird Count - December 22, 2012, Field-friendly bird sequenceFlycatcher-like Birds, Best binoculars under $100 for backyard bird watching. At all times, their legs and bills are black. Plump sandpiper with a stout black bill. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–2. Sanderlings nest in the High Arctic on gravel patches and low-growing, wet tundra. The western sandpiper is a small shorebird. The Sanderling’s black legs blur as it runs back and forth on the beach, picking or probing for tiny prey in the wet sand left by receding waves. In flight, note dark leading edge of the wing from above and all white wings from below. Juveniles have speckled backs and unmarked white underparts. The accompanying photos show juvenile Dunlin and Western Sandpiper mostly molted into their nonbreeding plumage. T... Just to let my regular readers know, Marlene and I have retired! The key to understanding their identification is in getting to know Dunlin. the g... Western Sandpiper or Dunlin? Diego area. Scurries back and forth chasing waves while foraging in loose groups. National Park with a college friend. In fact getting to know Dunlin makes the identification of … It’s now named for its nonbreeding plumage, a mousy gray-brown or “dun” color. The specific mauri commemorates Italian botanist Ernesto Mauri. Breeding adults have varying amounts of rusty wash on the upperparts. Plump sandpiper with a stout black bill. The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. $200 here *and then *best at any price here*) were about outdoor use. Right now, there are birds in your own backyard to see, identify, and enjoy. Found on sandy beaches chasing waves. Sanderlings are small, plump sandpipers with a stout bill about the same length as the head. Birds are everywhere! The commonest of the ‘smalls’ is the Dunlin while the very similar Curlew Sandpiper is a regular and common autumn passage migrant. In the Pacific Northwest there are over 500 species, found in field, forest, desert, mountains, wetlands, and coast. Sanderlings are medium-sized “peep” sandpipers recognizable by their pale nonbreeding plumage, black legs and bill, and obsessive wave-chasing habits.