June 1
Welcome to the Covid Report Peep show!
Small shorebirds are collectively known as “Peeps”. They require a lot of study to identify in the field. The differences are distinct if you have a good view of them but hard to tell if they are in shadows or in the distance. Peeps refers to the five smaller sandpipers: Western, Semipalmated, Least, Baird’s and White-rumped. I have included images of other sandpipers that one can see in Alberta.
Photographing peeps requires getting down and dirty. Laying down on a wet muddy beach gives the best point of view.
All these images are from the past couple of weeks with the exception of the Dunlin and the Western Sandpiper. I did see a Dunlin recently but it was too far away to photograph. The Western Sandpiper is normally found on the West Coast but one or two show up in Alberta each year. We saw them in Tofino B.C. two years ago.
Stay well !
