Saturday, May 18, 2013

Spotted Sandpiper Stand-off

So a couple of Spotted Sandpipers meet up at a local pond with a lovely waterfall nearby. From the picture, it looks like they might be about to have a friendly chat about how migration went, but oh no. Had you been there, as I was, you would have heard them screaming and yelling at each other. Stretching out their necks and bodies to posture and try to dominate one another. Fanning out their tail feathers in anger.
Flaring out the wing and tail feathers in an attempt to intimidate.
The one on the right is underwhelmed by the visual display and seems to have gained the high ground and to yell the loudest. The one on the left steps back a pace.
...and defeated scurries away.
I'd never seem that before. It was pretty cool to watch. Birding is fun!

3 comments:

  1. special photographs Robert; I've never seen these shore-birds before

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  2. Never seen them do this before - what a great experience for you!

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  3. Excellent bird behavior documentation!

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