Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

I'm still new enough to birdwatching that I encounter species new to me fairly often and it is always a thrill no matter how common they may be. Above are a small group of Dunlin (Calidris alpina) who were trying to catch a snooze near the shore of Clover Point a few days ago. Like the Brant Goose I pictured on Friday, they are not uncommon but I had never noticed them before. As well as differences in appearance due to gender, many birds wear different plumage during breeding season. The bird on the far left of the above photo is wearing the rich brown Dunlin breeding plumage. The bird second from the right is just beginning to show breeding plumage. The others are not yet in the mood, I guess.

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)

I recently went out to Royal Roads University to check out some of the forest trails that lie beside the Hatley Park National Historic Site. I've heard there are some huge old growth trees there as much as 500 years old. I had a splendid walk through the forest but did not see the trees.... Anyway, the trail I was on exited from the forest on the northern inland shore of Esquimalt Lagoon. While I often visit this lagoon, which is a bird sanctuary, I have not visited this shore of it before. I was rewarded by sighting two species new to me, the Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) pictured above and to the left, and some Purple Martins we'll see in a day or two. The Least Sandpiper is the smallest North American shorebird (just a little larger than a sparrow)and is almost indistinguishable from its other slightly larger relatives. Its distinguishing characteristic is its yellowish legs. The otherwise unremarkable photo to the left does have the virtue of clearly showing the yellowish legs on a couple of the birds.

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

I joined causeway artist Dean Lewis for a walk along the Ogden Point Breakwater this morning and we were happy to spy these two little shorebirds having breakfast amongst the barnacles and limpets on the lower edges of the breakwater. I have identified these as Sanderling (Calidris alba) though I'm not 100% certain since there are many small sandpiper-like birds that are very similar. Any birders out there who can confirm or correct this identification are invited to make a comment. After we watched these birds a bit Dean and I took the hint and went and had breakfast ourselves at the nearby Ogden Point Cafe. Dean had the barnacles on toast and I satisfied myself with some fried kelp and a side of limpets.