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Systematic list - part 9: Sandpipers, Dowitchers and allies

 

Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius (formerly Actitis macularia) (5)

2 Ding Darling 16th, 1 Fort Myers Beach (lagoon south of Holiday Inn) 17th, 1 Everglades (Amphitheater) 18th and 1 Everglades (Flamingo) 24th.

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Spotted Sandpipers, Fort Myers Beach, 17th April (left) and Flamingo, 24th April (right)

 

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Spotted Sandpipers, Ding Darling, 16th April (left) and Flamingo Amphitheater, 18th April (right)

 

Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria (11)

1 Tamiami Trail (S-334) 14th, 7 Washington Loop Road 14th and 3 Green Cay 25th.

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Solitary Sandpipers, Washington Loop Road, 14th April

 

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Solitary Sandpiper, Green Cay, 25th April

 

Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca (15)

8 Tamiami Trail (S-334) 14th & 17th, 2 Washington Loop Road 14th, 1 Lake Edna 23rd and 4 Snake Road (off track 1296 to Seminole Reservation) 25th.

 

Willet Tringa semipalmata (formerly Catoptrophorus semipalmatus) (284)

Mostly seen on the west coast where best count was 210 Ding Darling 16th. Also in the Everglades (including 26 from Flamingo 18th and 20+ Snake Bight Trail 24th) and the Keys (total 7, all at Boca Chica). I was aware that both Eastern and Western Willets occurred in Florida but I assumed the majority would be Eastern - in fact all those identified appeared to be Western inornatus. Is this normal?

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Western Willet, Ding Darling, 16th April (left) and Fort Myers Beach, 17th April (right)

 

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Western Willet, Lovers Key State Park, 15th April

 

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Western Willet, Flamingo Amphitheater, 18th April

 

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes (8)

2 Washington Loop Road 14th, 3 Lake Edna 23rd and 3 Green Cay 25th.

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Lesser Yellowlegs, Green Cay, 25th April

 

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres (88)

5 at 2 sites on west coast, 82 in Keys (including 21 Garden Key 21st and 60+ Bahia Honda State Park 23rd) and 1 Everglades (Amphitheater) 24th.

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Turnstones, Garden Key, 21st April

 

Sanderling Calidris alba (313)

Mostly seen on the west coast where 20 Lovers Key State Park 15th, 23 Sanibel causeway 16th, 30+ Fort Myers Beach 17th and 160 Dog Beach 17th. Elsewhere just 1 site in the Keys: 80+ Bahia Honda State Park 23rd.

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Sanderling, Lovers Key State Park, 15th April

 

Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla (3)

After reading various trip reports some of which reported seeing these in their hundreds in southern Florida at this time of year I expected to see a few more than 3! Just seen at one site in the Keys where 3 among a flock of Least Sandpipers Lake Edna 23rd.

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Semipalmated Sandpipers, Lake Edna, 23rd April

 

Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla (360)

Easily the commonest Calidrid sandpiper recorded at 4 sites on the west coast, 2 in the Everglades, 2 in the Keys and 2 in north Miami Metropolitan area. Largest counts were 90 Fort Myers Beach (lagoon south of Holiday Inn) 17th, 50+ Bahia Honda State Park 23rd, 100+ Lake Edna 23rd and c. 100 Everglades (Snake Bight Trail) 24th.

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Least Sandpipers, Fort Myers Beach, 17th April

 

Dunlin Calidris alpina (9)

1 Ding Darling 16th, 5 Sanibel Causeway 16th, 1 Fort Myers Beach (lagoon south of Holiday Inn) 17th and 2 Everglades (Amphitheater) 24th.

 

Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus (125)

I still find identification of adult dowitchers something of a challenge and I'm far from certain that I got it right every time in Florida. However I think that the majority of dowitchers I saw were Short-billed including 2 Ding Darling 16th, 21 off Flamingo 18th (distant), 2 first-summers Boca Chica 19th and c. 100 off Snake Bight Trail 24th. If I was right with the specific ID then one of the birds at Ding Darling (I don't mean the one in the images below) was of the race hendersoni.

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Short-billed Dowitcher, Ding Darling, Sanibel Island, 16th April

 

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus (1)

The only dowitcher which I identified, albeit a little tentatively, as Long-billed was 1 Lake Edna 23rd. Please let me know whether you think my ID was correct or not!

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Long-billed Dowitcher, Lake Edna, 23rd April

 

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