A studio for bird study

Tag: shorebird

June 25, 2013

Pectoral Sandpiper- Calidris melanotos

by Bryce W. Robinson

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The Pectoral Sandpiper is one of the most common sandpipers in the areas I’ve been frequenting. These birds have one of my favorite flight displays. The male flies low over the tundra, filling his anterior air sacs with air to increase the resonance of his calls. Close your mouth, and in a low voice repeat goo goo goo goo, and you have produced the sound of the displaying male Pectoral Sandpiper. I’m making attempts to record this behavior, but all I have so far are some very poor photographs. I thought I’d share one just to help paint the picture of the bizarre behavior.

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The behaviors here are fascinating. This is only a taste of the smorgasbord of incredible bird life that is available here in the thawing tundra summer. I can’t wait to capture and share more.

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June 22, 2013

Dunlin- Calidris alpina

by Bryce W. Robinson

IMG_3794 copyI’ve been on the Arctic Tundra now for a few weeks, and I’m loving it. The birds are everywhere, and they are all new to me. Everything is my favorite, everything is the most interesting, and everything excites me more than the next. To say that I’m immersed in learning is an understatement. My experiences in the past few weeks have been invaluable.

The above photo features a female Dunlin, returning to her nest. I’ve found two Dunlin nests thus far. They are in fact my favorite.

In the next few weeks everything will be hatching. The tundra will be crawling with fuzzy precocial birds, and I will be there to soak it all in. I’ll try to share along the way, but the nesting season is keeping me very busy, and very tired. In the end, I’ll have a lot to share. Photos, video, illustrations, and stories. Till then, happy birding.

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