Andrea Schwenke Wyile
Sandpiper – Margaret Boudreau 
Semipalmated Sandpiper – Margaret Boudreau
Sandpipers, Plovers, Shorebirds and many other names
Introduction
During the summer, Nova Scotia is home to many different species of sandpipers that breed here. Sandpipers are small birds with skinny legs, long bodies and long, narrow beaks. They come in a wide variety of colours and sizes. Each bird is specialized to thrive in its own ecological niche, the particular part of the ecosystem that the bird uses. Perhaps the most noticeable things about sandpipers is their synchronized, acrobatic flight, thought to be a protective mechanism from larger predatory birds. They are also notable for how fast their legs move as they run along the shore. But not all birds in the sandpiper family are coastal birds. Many live along lakes and some relatives, like the woodcock, even live in the woods. Most sandpipers build their nests in the ground.
Semi-Palmated Sandpiper (scientific name: Calidris pusilla)
The semi-palmated sandpiper is very common around Nova Scotia. Like most sandpipers it migrates further south in the fall. Before migration starts, these sandpipers will gather in huge groups on the mudflats in the Bay of Fundy to feed. They fill up on lots of mud-shrimps. This pre-departure feast will give them energy reserves to fly for three days (actually 72 hours straight) until they reach land in their winter homes in South America!
To hear the semi-palmated sandpiper’s call, check out:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Semipalmated_Sandpiper/sounds
Piping Plover (scientific name: Charadrius melodus)
The piping plover is a sandpiper that lives exclusively on sandy beaches and nests near grassy dunes (but not in them). It has orange legs and an orange beak with a black tip. It also has a black strip on its head and a black ring around its neck. Piping plovers are endangered in Nova Scotia, meaning that there aren’t very many still here. Human (and dog) activity on beaches is very disturbing to piping plovers that nest on the ground. Each year, people try very hard to protect piping plover nests. Piping plovers nest on Pomquet Beach, Antigonish County. If you walk up the beach you may see a few running around on the shoreline and it is important to leave them alone.
American Woodcock (scientific name: Scolopax minor), timberdoodle
Woodcocks are the name given to 6 species of sandpipers, and live in forests and fields. The American woodcock has brown and beige feathers and are well camouflaged in their habitat. Male woodcocks attract mates by doing amazing displays of their flight abilities. First, they will sit in an open field making a “peent” sound repeatedly, then at some unpredictable moment they will take to the air and perform some very fancy spiraling maneuvers in the air. If the female is impressed by the display, she will fly to the male; more courting will take place and they will breed. The male often mates with more than one female. After mating the female will build a nest and raise the chicks completely on her own. The chicks are able to leave the nest soon after hatching. The mother will stay with them and teach them how to feed and hunt until they take off on their own.
To hear the American woodcock’s call, go to:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Woodcock/sounds
Sandpipers are fascinating birds and they can be very entertaining to watch as they go about their daily activities.
~Monica Schuegraf
