Least Sandpiper

1/200s at f8.0, ISO:800, Canon Mark III 1Ds w/800mm, 1.4x converter


The breeding habitat of the Least Sandpiper is the northern North American continent on tundra or in bogs. They nest on the ground near water. The female lays 4 eggs in a shallow scrape lined with grass and moss. Both parents incubate; the female leaves before the young birds fledge and sometimes before the eggs hatch. The young birds feed themselves and are able to fly within two weeks of birth. They migrate in flocks to the southern United States and northern South America. These birds forage on mudflats, picking up food by sight, sometimes by probing. They mainly eat small crustaceans, insects and snails.
Medicine Creek, NE
 
05/13/2010