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December 22, 2024

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Friday, January 28, 2022

Bird of the Week – Wood Sandpiper

Yes, yet another sandpiper, but this one is the last and, besides, it’s another Asian vagrant.

Wood Sandpiper, Gambell, St. Lawrence Island

Wood Sandpiper, Gambell, St. Lawrence Island

We found this bird in the swamp near the Far Boneyard on Gambell, St. Lawrence Island. It’s found a bit more often than last week’s Terek Sandpiper, so its status is “Uncommon,” as opposed to “Casual,” meaning that it is seen pretty much every year, usually out in the Aleutian Islands.

The greenish-yellow legs, whitish eyebrow and short, dark bill make this fairly easy to identify in the field. Among serious birders, seeing a Wood Sandpiper is no big deal; it was a lifer for WC. And is still the only Wood Sandpiper he has seen.

For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.

Comments

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Comments
2 Responses to “Bird of the Week – Wood Sandpiper”
  1. mike from iowa says:

    I’ll bite- what is the far Boneyard for? Is it where lost Cheechakos go to die? Another outstanding photo, WC.

    • The Far Boneyard is one of two half-buried piles of walrus and seal carcasses. The technical term is “midden.” The Far Boneyard is the one further from the modern village of Gambell; the Near Boneyard is self-explanatory.

      The middens understandably attract flies. Flies attract bug-eating birds. Birds attract birders.