East Pond at JBWR

     This morning I got up and out bright and early before work to get to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and to explore the East Pond.
     Last time I went, the water level was much higher, the grasses thick, and a fence obstacle. I am happy to say that the water level felt lower, and whoever whacked a trail around the fence and through the grasses, serious thank you! It just felt safer and that makes a lone lady out on the marsh feel much better.
     I like going in the morning because light is in your favor, if entering from the south side of the pond. Nothing annoys me more than having to try and ID birds when they are backlit, so an early wake up is best to get good light from the south end of the east pond.
     Boots were very much still necessary, I wore long pants and took a bug spray bath as to avoid not only insects but any poison ivy I would potentially encounter.
     I had a great morning out, working on my shorebird game, and not feeling 100% unsafe! Yay! It's shorebird season, folks-- get out there!

Short-billed dowitcher were plentiful. Some had lovely and stunning rusty browns to their plumage.

The lesser yellowlegs has quickly become a favorite of mine and I am happy to see them here. I also now wonder how many times I have possibly seen a lesser yellowlegs and dismissed it as greater, they are pretty different once you get to know them well.

Abundant, were semipalmated sandpipers.

A lot of this morning was looking at every individual, if I could. In looking at the birds I'd consider comparing them to bird like this, the least sandpiper, and the sanderling-- the few peeps I feel confident identifying. I looked at thing like beak length and droop, length of wings and those primary feathers, proportions of the body, length and color of legs, and of course size. It's a lot to consider, but it's helpful-- and also makes you realize that even within a species there is a ridiculous amount of minute variations.

Whoever did this. THANK YOU!!!

Another semipalmated sandpiper.

A least sandpiper gone contortionist. The tail is bent away from us as it preens its feathers. 

Another least sandpiper in its normal shape.

A few Northern waterthrushes gave me a piece of heir minds at the marsh edge.

Semipalmated plovers were very abundant and seemed oddly large, in comparison to the smaller peeps.

Why I love lesser yellowlegs- their proportions are just comical!

I'm a little awkward... and maybe that's why I like these birds.

Captured a snowy egret flyby. Love these birds, saw a nice group of them flying against an overcast western sky, they were just stunning.

If you saw one short-billed dowitcher, there were always at least 1 to 3 more behind.

And now for something completely different...

Bigger bodied, primaries just peek out past the rest of the wing, a longer very gently drooping bill, a streak of red on the back (or scapulars, technical bird speak), and the front end- compared to the semipalmated up top, is just a bit heavier in the front end of its body.

This is a Western Sandpiper AND a life bird! Woot!

But wait, there's more...

Taller than everything else, but smaller than the dowitcher, longer yellow legs...

The patterns on the head and face look like nothing I've seen before...

Oh yeah, that's different than everything else.

Another life bird, a pectoral sandpiper!

A successful morning on the East Pond and still in to work and smelling like "Off Deep Woods" all day, it was worth it!
If you are looking to learn more about shorebirds, there is a festival this weekend at the refuge that is the Shorebird Festival!