Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers
Following on from the last post, here's a few species on the edge of terra firma from the same fun adventure...
A small, seaweed-strewn beach halfway around our loop of the island looked good for shorebirds, but maybe it was too early in the season? Thankfully not, as three wader species were avidly feeding in the strandline: two Spotted Sandpipers (the default wader around here), but also two Semipalmated Sandpipers and two Least Sandpipers.
The light wasn't great (harsh and hazy) but the birds surely were - I rarely get to see shorebirds on our US summer trips, so any are very welcome, especially long distance migrants such as the Leasts and Semi-Ps.
Plenty of other wildlife to enjoy on the rocks, including many Grey Seals hauled out (above), and an Osprey nest on the ground (below, complete with about-to-fledge juvenile) on a small rocky islet - the first time I've seen such a set-up.
Common Tern, Snowy Egret
