Showing posts with label shorebirds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shorebirds. Show all posts

Migrant shorebirds - Sanderlings (Calidris alba) in Trinidad & Tobago

Migrant shorebirds - Sanderlings (Calidris alba) in Trinidad & Tobago
Migrant shorebirds - Sanderlings (Calidris alba) in Trinidad & Tobago
Migrant shorebirds I find to be delightful, really enjoy photographing them and just being around them. Shorebirds such as the Sanderling generally work their way down the East coast of America, those that land up in Tobago mostly make the flight in  single leg, some however stop over in the Lesser Antilles.  Sanderlings are often seen in small groups here and quite a large number appear to move with loose flocks of various other shorebirds such as Ruddy Turnstones, Black bellied plovers and of course other Sandpipers.

Photography : Samsung Pro815 digital bridge camera
Location : Pigeon point beach, South Western Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago West Indies

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#sanderlings #shorebirds #migrant #birds #photos #calidris #alba #Samsung #photography #West #Indies

Ruddy Turnstone ( Arenaria interpres ) migrant shorebirds

Ruddy Turnstone ( Arenaria interpres ) migrant shorebirds
Ruddy Turnstone ( Arenaria interpres ) migrant shorebirds
Ruddy Turnstone ( Arenaria interpres ) migrant shorebirds. So nice to have shorebird migrants through the winter months, it really brings the beaches to life and each time I see them I consider their long journeys both behind them, and ahead of them. The Ruddy Turnstone winters in the Northern most regions of Alaska & Canada on small Islands towards the Arctic, though there are some that, for whatever reason known only to them, remain in the Caribbean year round.

Location: Little Rockly bay, Tobago
Samsung Pro815 digital bridge camera

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See more photos by Robert Brent

#ruddy #turnstone #arenaria #interpres #migrant #shorebirds #photos

Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling migrating South

ruddy turnstone and sanderling migrating South
Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling migrating South
Many shorebirds migrate in small groups of various species, or mingle in groups at stop over beaches throughout their journey. Here a Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling were my intended targets, I had no knowledge of the bee until I saw the photo on the PC.

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaia interpres)
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaia interpres)
Ruddy Turnstone

Order : Charadriiformes
This is a diverse order which includes about 350 species of birds in all parts of the world. Most Chardriiformes are strong flyers, some species performing the most extensive migration of any birds. Most live near water and eat invertebrates or other similar small animals and most nest on the ground. the order is split into 3 main suborders; Charadrii (about 200 species including Sandpipers, Plovers and Lapwings ), Lari ( about 92 species including Gulls, Turns, Skimmers and Jaegers), and Alcidae ( about 21 species including Auks, Guillemots and Puffins)

Family : Turnstone (Charadriidae)
The bird family Charadriidae is made up of about 64 to 66 species and includes the Plovers, Turnstones, Dotterels and Lapwings. They are small to medium sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks and long usually pointed wings. The have world wide distribution and inhabit open countryside usually near water. They feed mostly on insects, worms and other invertebrates, usually obtained by a run and pause technique rather than probing like some other wader groups.

Name : Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaia interpres)
Length : 21 - 25 cm ( 8 - 10 in )

A short legged chunky shorebird the Ruddy Turnstone ranges from northern North America to Europe and Asia. The North American species winters as far south as Argentina and Chile. In breeding plumage the species develops striking chestnut upperparts with black across the wing covets, underparts are white, the legs orange. The bill is small slender and dark. Usually seen by the coast in small numbers, the Ruddy Turnstone scavenges for small crustaceans and insects. The flight is fairly strong and direct. In the evenings each member of the group takes a sea bath, usually immersing itself completely under water, preening is accompanied with short erratic flapping that may lift the bird a few inches off the ground.



#Ruddy Turnstone #Arenaia interpres #Turnstone #Charadriidae #Charadriiformes #shorebirds #North American migrants #birds #birds of Tobago

Bird identification photos

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaia interpres) Birds of Tobago

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaia interpres) shorebirds