Actitis macularius

Well, the light continues to be frustrating every time I run across this bird, so I'm just gonna blip him already. This is a Spotted Sandpiper, one of two that have been frequenting the shores of the Merced River, not 10 minutes from where I work. I've been getting to the restaurant early and birdwatching the nearby cottonwoods for a few minutes before I go on shift. The meadow is full of wheeling Violet-Green Swallows, the dead trees are hosting several types of nesting woodpeckers, and warblers, vireos, and sparrows are singing brightly from the riparian scrub.

The Spotted Sandpiper is one of the easiest American species to identify. Its solid brown back and spotted white breast are unique, as is its tendency to ceaselessly bob its tail up and down as it walks along. Spotted Sandpipers breed throughout most of the United States and Canada, preferring to nest along rivers and streams.

I once saw this species in northeast Utah, a mother and two tiny chicks foraging along the shores of the Green River. I was delighted and amazed to find that, even at a few days old, the tiny chicks were bobbing their tiny backsides.