While visiting Lake George in New York, I saw several of these birds along the edges of the shoreline. Sanderlings are small, plump sandpipers with a stout bill that is about the same length as their head. These and other sandpipers in their genus are often called “peeps.” Sanderlings are medium-sized members of this group.

You’ll most often see Sanderlings in nonbreeding plumage, when they are very pale overall: light gray above and white below, with a blackish mark at the shoulder. In Spring and Summer, Sanderlings are spangled black, white, and rich rufous on the head, neck, and back. At all times, their legs and bills are black.

Sanderlings breed on the high arctic tundra and migrate south in Fall to become one of the most common birds along beaches. They gather in loose flocks to probe the sand of wave-washed beaches for marine invertebrates, running back and forth in a perpetual “wave chase.”

They are among the most extreme northern breeding birds in the world, nesting only on the coldest tundra. They are also long-distance migrants, wintering south to South America, western and southern Europe, Africa, and Australia.

Sanderlings have only have three toes on each foot; they are missing the hind toe, which gives them a distinctive running action – a bit like a clockwork toy.

It was fun to see this small, sprightly shorebird on my visit to the Big Apple.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While visiting Point Reyes National Seashore in California, I saw these fine birds in the wild for the first time. The American White Pelican rivals the Trumpeter Swan, as one of the longest birds native to North America.

This bird is very large and plump, with an overall length of about 50–70 inches, courtesy of the huge beak which measures over one foot long. It has a wingspan of over 100 inches. One of our largest flying birds, it is considerably larger than a Bald Eagle. This species also has the second-largest average wingspan of any North American bird, after the California Condor.

Unlike the Brown Pelican, the American White Pelican does not dive for its food. Instead, it catches its prey while swimming. Each bird eats more than four pounds of food a day. The fish taken can range from the size of minnows to 3-1/2 pound Pickerel. They like to gather in groups of a dozen or more to feed, as they can thus cooperate and corral fish for one another.

These birds are colonial breeders, with up to 10,000 pairs per site. They arrive on the breeding grounds in March or April; nesting starts between early April and early June. During the breeding season, both males and females develop a pronounced bump on the top of their large beaks. This conspicuous growth is shed by the end of the breeding season.

The nest is a shallow depression scraped in the ground, into which some twigs, sticks, reeds, or similar debris have been gathered. After about one week of courtship and nest-building, the female lays a clutch of usually two or three eggs – sometimes just one, sometimes up to six.

American White Pelicans nest on inland islands in freshwater and brackish lakes across the northern interior of North America. The core breeding areas include central Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, south through Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and west-central Wisconsin. In my home state of Ohio, observers discovered and documented them nesting on a small island in Sandusky Bay last year.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While hiking along the edge of a lake on Mount Hamilton in California, I spotted a few examples of distinctive-looking ducks. Males are known for their striking appearance in Spring, featuring a bright, powder-blue bill, rich chestnut-red body, and bold white cheeks with a black cap. Males are dull brown in Autumn, turning grayish-brown, like females, in Winter.

The Ruddy Duck is one of six species within the Stiff-tailed Duck Family. Stiff-tailed Ducks occupy heavily vegetated habitats in North and South America as well as the British Isles, France, and Spain.

This bird has also been nicknamed “butterball,” a term used to describe an individual that is somewhat fat, due to its short and stout stature, which makes activities like flying and walking upright awkward. On takeoff it must patter across the surface of the water to become airborne, then it whirs along on rapidly beating wings. On land it is almost helpless.

The Ruddy Duck is a small, compact duck with a sturdy, scoop-shaped bill, and a stiff tail which it holds cocked upward. It has a slightly peaked head and a fairly short, thick neck. It is an excellent diver that is often seen in tight groups, appearing to “bob” on the water.

It forages by diving and swimming underwater, propelled by feet, using its bill to strain food items from mud at the bottom of ponds. It rarely forages by dabbling at the surface of the water. The Ruddy Duck feeds on the seeds and roots of plants including pondweeds, sedges, smartweeds, and grasses. It also consumes aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and rarely small fish. Insects and their larvae may be main foods eaten in Summer.

It was neat to see this colorful creature with a bright blue bill while herping the Golden State.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While hiking along a river in Japan, I saw several of these distinctive birds. The Eurasian Wigeon is a widespread dabbling duck of Europe and Asia, recognizable by the male’s rufous head with a creamy crown and gray body, and the female’s warm brown plumage. Males have a brilliant white patch on upper wings, that is visible in flight or at rest.

They like to live in open wetlands, such as wet grasslands or marshes with some taller vegetation, slow-flowing large rivers, and shallow lakes and lagoons. They especially favor areas surrounded by woods and agricultural land.

Eurasian Wigeons are herbivores and feed on both aquatic and terrestrial plants. They eat leaves, roots, stems, grasses, grains, and seeds. They usually feed by dabbling for plant food or by grazing on land, which they do very readily.

They are active during the daylight hours, spending their time feeding, resting, or swimming, but sometimes may feed at night. They nest on the ground, near water and under cover. During the breeding season, Eurasian Wigeons prefer to nest in pairs or small groups.

This bird is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks. It will join with flocks of the American Wigeon in the United States, and may also hybridize with them.

Eurasian Wigeons are noisy birds; the male has a clear whistle that sounds like pjiew pjiew, whereas the female has a low growl that sounds like rawr.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While visiting Japan I saw this common inhabitant of the Old World freshwater lakes and ponds that has adapted well to living in urban environments, often being found in parks and gardens with access to water. It occurs and breeds in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Eurasian Coots are medium-sized, robust waterbirds with a predominantly black plumage, which can appear dark grey in certain light. Their most striking features are their white bill and frontal shield, which contrast sharply with their dark feathers. Their feet are unique, with lobed toes that aid in swimming and walking on soft mud.

This bird is always found close to freshwater, and prefers habitats such as wetlands, lakes and ponds. It is not a shy bird. In areas where freshwater freezes, it migrates to warmer climates during Winter.

The Eurasian Coot is an omnivorous and feeds both on vegetation and small animal prey. It might also eat eggs of other birds. It can find food underwater, where it can dive to depths of 20 feet and stay submerged for 15 seconds. It also eats vegetation by grazing on land. It adapts its diet based on the availability of food sources.

It prefers bodies of water with abundant aquatic vegetation, which provides food, shelter, and nesting materials. This bird’s wide distribution can be attributed to its adaptability to various water environments and climates.

Eurasian Coots can be both solitary and social. Outside of the breeding season, they often gather in large flocks on open water. These birds can be quite territorial and aggressive during the breeding season however, engaging in dramatic displays and confrontations to defend their nesting area.

The Eurasian Coot is a resilient and adaptable bird that plays a significant role in the ecosystems of wetlands and waterways. As both a predator and prey species, it is an integral part of the food web.

It was really neat to see this bird (which looks just like the USA’s American Coot) at many of the places we visited in Japan.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While visiting Japan, I saw several examples of this long-legged wading bird, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, as well as parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern areas migrate southward in Autumn.

A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water, or by stalking its prey through the shallows. These birds seemed acclimated to humans and I often saw them in park and even urban settings.

They are very similar in appearance of Great Blue Herons, which I frequently see in my home state of Ohio. They stand at 3 feet tall, weigh 2 to 4 pounds, and have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown.

These birds breed colonially in Spring, typically building their nests high in trees. A clutch of usually three to five bluish-green eggs is laid. Both males and females incubate the eggs for around 25 days, and then both feed the chicks, which fledge when they are 7-8 weeks old.

Their main call is a loud croaking “fraaank,” but a variety of guttural and raucous noises can be heard at the breeding grounds. The male uses an advertisement call to encourage a female to join him at the nest, and both sexes use various greeting calls after a pair bond has been established.

Grey Herons are apex predators in their aquatic ecosystem. Fish, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects are caught in shallow water with the heron’s long bill. They may stand motionless in the shallows, or on a rock or sandbank beside the water, waiting for prey to come within striking distance. Alternatively, they move slowly and stealthily through the water with their body less upright than when at rest and its neck curved in an “S.”

It has able to straighten its neck and strike with its bill very quickly. Small fish are swallowed head first, and larger prey and eels are carried to the shore where they are subdued by being beaten on the ground or stabbed by the bill. They are then swallowed whole or have hunks of flesh torn off.

The oldest recorded Grey Heron lived for 23 years, but the average life expectancy in the wild is about 5 years. It was great to see this majestic bird in a variety of habitats and in a number of places that I visited in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

Although it’s not very often, I occasionally see these big birds while out and about in my home state of Ohio. This is among the oldest living species of birds, dating back 2-1/2 million years. Sandhill Cranes are currently listed as a threatened species in Ohio, though they have made a comeback after being extirpated in the mid-20th century. They returned to Ohio in 1987 to breed in Wayne County and have expanded their range since.

Sandhill Cranes are wading birds characterized by long legs, necks, and bills. An adult sandhill crane stands about 4 feet tall, sports a 6 foot wingspan and weighs up to 12 pounds. Perhaps the most unique characteristic of the sandhill crane is its tendency to dance. Although an integral part of their courtship, they can be seen dancing any time of the year. The dance of the sandhill crane includes many quick steps around each other, wings half spread with an occasional leap into the air up to eight feet off the ground.

These birds are primarily a wetland-dependent species. Sandhill Cranes live on a diet of small rodents, reptiles, amphibians, grains, insects, and berries. On their wintering grounds, they will utilize agricultural fields; however, they roost in shallow, standing water or moist bottomlands. On breeding grounds they require a rather large tract of wet meadow, shallow marsh, or bog for nesting.

Sandhill Cranes, the most abundant of the world’s cranes, are found throughout most of North America. They spend most of the year in Canada and the northern United States, migrating to the southern United States and Mexico for the winter. In Ohio, Sandhill Cranes are listed as an threatened species due to habitat loss.

The beauty of Sandhill Cranes has permeated cultures all over the world, and the species has captured the attention of many groups throughout history. There are at least ten annual Sandhill Crane festivals around the United States, from Tennessee to Washington. Colorado has two.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. I often see them at Canalway Center in Ohio and recently came across babies at the edge of a public park.

Killdeer have the characteristic large, round head, large eye, and short bill this is common to all plovers. They are especially slender and lanky, with a long, pointed tail and long wings.

Widespread and conspicuous, the Killdeer calls its name as it flies over farmland and other open country like fields, airports, lawns, river banks, mudflats, and shores. It is often found on open ground, such as pastures, and large lawns located a great distance from water.

Typically they run a few steps and then pause, then run again, pecking at the ground whenever they spot something edible. They feed on a wide variety of insects, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, fly larvae, and many others; they also eats spiders, earthworms, centipedes, crayfish and snails.

Killdeer nests are simple scrapes often placed on slight rises in their open habitats. Killdeer may make several scrapes not far away from each other before choosing one to lay in. This nest duplication may help to confuse predators.

Although the Killdeer is frequently around human habitation, it is often shy, at first running away rather than flying. When a Killdeer stops to look at an intruder, it has a habit of bobbing up and down almost as if it had hiccupped. Killdeer are some of the best-known practitioners of the broken-wing display, an attempt to lure predators away from a nest by feigning injury.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While visiting Akron, (OH) I saw a few examples of this duck that is also known as a “Bluebill.” Males have a black breast, medium gray back, white sides, and yellow eyes. Their head appears black with a greenish sheen in good lighting. Females are brown overall, with white patch at base of bill and yellow eyes.

The only circumpolar (situated around or inhabiting one of the earth’s poles) diving duck, the Greater Scaup breeds on the tundra and in the Boreal Forest zones from Iceland across northern Scandinavia, northern Russia, northern Siberia and the western North American Arctic. It is estimated that three-quarters of the North American population breeds in Alaska. These examples were just passing through on their migration route.

The Greater Scaup dives to feed on aquatic plants and animals. In coastal areas, mollusks constitute their principle food. In freshwater habitats, seeds, leaves, stems, roots and tubers of aquatic plants like sedges, pondweeds, Muskgrass, and Wild Celery are important dietary items.

Like other ducks, they can dive completely underwater. Compared to dabbling ducks, their wings are smaller relative to their body weight. To take flight, they flap their wings and run along the surface of the water, patting their feet on the surface, gaining speed and lift until they are airborne.

The word scaup (pronounced “skopp”) may be related to the word scalp, akin to terms in northern European languages that mean “shell” or “shellfish bed”: In some regions, this bird feeds on clams, oysters, and mussels.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail

While visiting California, I saw several examples of this conspicuous bird in different counties. The Western Gull is the only gull nesting along most of the Pacific Coast from Washington to Baja.

This is a large (24 to 27 inches), stocky bird with a stout bill. Adults have rather dark gray upperparts and bright pink legs. Both sexes have the same type of plumage, but the male is larger than the female.

Western Gulls are found mostly near the coast and also found regularly offshore. They are not typically found far inland. Many types of habitats are used, including estuaries, beaches, fields, garbage dumps, and city waterfronts.

Like most gulls, the Western Gull is an opportunistic feeder, capturing its own prey, scavenging trash, or stealing food from seals and other gulls. Sometimes they even steal milk from mother seals while they’re asleep.

These birds nest in colonies on islands, offshore rocks, and abandoned piers. Their colonies are often located near nesting seabirds or Sea Lions. Western Gulls build their nests on the ground, and the pair often starts as many as three nests, and then chooses one to finish and use.

Like many other gull species, they drop hard-shelled items from the air to break them on hard surfaces. They are also often seen following fishing boats and feeding on scraps thrown overboard by fish cleaners. The intelligence and resourcefulness of Western Gulls is rather impressive.

Third Eye Herp
E-mail