Little Shorebird ID, Lehigh River, Cementon Pennsylvania (1 Viewer)

[MLoyko]

Hello all,

A new lifer for me but got no clue as to whom it is. Little shorebird, Brown above, Light underneath. chin and some of the neck were still the borwn color except broke off into speckling. some speckling on the flanks a little too! Looked like it had a lighter supercillium and/or a white eye-ring but I could tell about the ring. I noticed that it kept bumping its rear end up and down it that helps.

In flight, its wing beats were almst vibration like with very brief glides in between and I noticed white on the wings in flight. Also yellow legs, and It was scurrying around on a rock on the river pecking at stuff on or near the waters edge.

My thought after looking in my field guide was spotted sandpiper? Any Ideas?

Thanks!
Matt

PS: took two photos on my phone but they won't help, one because they suck and two I can't figure out how to transfer them:-O

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Sounds like you're right to me

Jan

 

[gerdwichers8]

Hi Matt,

It truly sounds like a Spotted Sandpiper. Perhaps this link makes you share your experience?

http://birdinggirl.blogspot.com/2008/08/spotted-sandpiper-at-charles-river.html

 

[birderbf]

Stiff, shallow, reluctant wingbeats are very characteristic of Spotsand.

EDIT: I was looking for but missed the part about the rear-half bobbing. Another remarkably useful behavior!

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Yellow legs are good too, as is all of the description. The one Spotted I've seen in Britain was in non-breeding plumage but stood out most from Common's initially because of it's bright yellow legs, shorter tail and call (actually I can't remember exactly what the call sounded like coz it was ages ago but it was easily distinguishable from Commons)

Jan

 

[MLoyko]

Hi Matt,

It truly sounds like a Spotted Sandpiper. Perhaps this link makes you share your experience?

http://birdinggirl.blogspot.com/2008/08/spotted-sandpiper-at-charles-river.html

That's him, and the funny thing was after posting my question, I checked in Sibley's and it was like a copied everything I said out of the book :-O

Thanks for everything,
Matt

 

[Gillian_M]

The tail-bobbing is also characteristic of Spotted Sandpiper, too. Congratulations!

 

[Jim M.]

I noticed that it kept bumping its rear end up and down it that helps.

Hi Matt,

That bobbing motion is pretty much diagnostic for Spotted Sandpiper. It is one of the most widespread sandpipers, and one often encountered inland on waterways where no other shorebirds are around. Congratulations on your new lifer!

Best,
Jim

[EDIT: I must be getting slow in my old age. When I started composing my post, there was only one reply in this thread!]

 

[MLoyko]

Yup, he was the only one around! Thanks a lot to all of you for such quick help as usual!

-Matt