Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularia |
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The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) breeds across most of North America and winters across the southern states and into Mexico. In the spring and summer nesting season this species gets a fairly bright orange bill and has a distinctively spotted breast and belly. In the non-breeding season, however, the bird loses it colorful bill as well as its spots. The birds characteristic rapid waling with a bobbing action helps to identify it. The first two shots shown here show a breeding plumaged Spotted Sandpiper which was a northbound migrant when I photographed it in Kenedy Co., Texas, in April, 2000, with a Canon EOS 3 and EF 600mm F/4 L lens and 1.4X extender on Fuji Velvia. The next shot shows a bird in non-breeding plumage in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in October, 2005. This was a digital image with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 2X extender. This bird would likely winter at this location. | |
The Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage in the next two shots was in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in April, 2008. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender. | |
The next 11 images of Spotted Sandpiper were all taken in Austin, Travis Co., Texas, in January, 2010, with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens. The first shots show a winter plumaged Spotted Sandpiper using some pond sliders as stepping stones. | |
The Spotted Sandpiper in the next two shots was a basic (winter) plumaged bird on South Padre Island, Cameron Co., Texas, in December, 2010. These shots were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and an EF 800mm F/5.6 L IS lens. In the shot on the right, the bird is stalking a small insect. | |
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 8 May 2013 |
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Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia Hornsby Bend, Austin, Travis Co., Texas 8 May 2013 |
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