Field Notes: Catching Up with a Spotted Sandpiper

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:07:00 GMT

On a clear spring morning after a night of heavy rain, I saw a Spotted Sandpiper foraging along one of the exposed muddy edges of the reservoir. The abundant rain left the soil moist, providing the sandpiper with excellent foraging opportunities. The sky that morning was virtually cloud-free, which allowed the beautiful spotted pattern to really stand out and sparkle, especially against the green tones of the water.

In contrast to the weather that day, on another morning I arrived at the Res under overcast skies, which bring out some of my favorite qualities of light for birds. The diffuse light of an overcast day creates softer shadows, reduced contrast, and overall definition that plays well with the delicate character of birds such as the Spotted Sandpiper. On both mornings, I used a long telephoto lens on a hand-held DSLR camera body, staying low to the ground so as not to startle the bird. Taking advantage of the available light during these early mornings, I was able to come away with a small collection of Spotted Sandpiper images to add to my shorebird collection, which can be seen on my website.

Spotted Sandpiper on an overcast day.

Field Notes: Leucistic Red-Tailed Hawk

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:06:00 GMT

As the bird crossed Ring Road into another large bog, I noticed about two feathers on each upper wing that were dark, and I saw its light rufous gray upper tail with a darker subterminal band. I could not make out its patagial marks on its underwings. I originally thought it could have been a Snowy Owl, but with those field marks I knew it was a mostly leucistic Red-tailed Hawk. It flew into the tree line at the back of the bog. Many months later, on March 17, 2020, I finally got a photo that showed the hawk’s back and almost entirely white face and breast.

Over the course of six months, I went back to Ring Road and watched the area for 30–40 minutes, 24 times and saw the hawk—a female based on the large size—seven times. It is secretive in its movements. I have listed the sightings on eBird as “Ring Road near Transfer Station.”

On March 12, 2020, I saw a smaller, presumably male, normally plumaged Red-tailed Hawk nearby that the leucistic individual did not chase away.

I have been back to the Ring Road cranberry bogs six times since March 2020 and have not seen the leucistic individual, but I hope to see it again.

I asked fellow birder and fantastic wildlife photographer Beth Vacchino, who lives nearby, to be on the lookout for this outstandingly plumaged Red-tailed Hawk. Beth finally caught up with it—this photograph is hers.

December 2020

Field Notes: Catching Up with a Spotted Sandpiper

Field Notes: Leucistic Red-Tailed Hawk