Young Spotted Sandpipers at Green Pond ~ July 4, 2010

On my way home from my daughters', I made a stop at Green Pond's flooded fields. The area is quickly drying up. Only the area to the east of "the island" still has water. As it neared sunset, I spotted five little 'fluffballs' that turned out to be young Spotted Sandpipers. I watched them as one of the parents closely followed them around. At one point, the adult called and all five young sought protection underneath the parent bird. As it turns out, it's the male (not the female) who does the incubating and parenting as in the phalaropes. I was unaware of this until Augie Mirabella wrote and informed me about it. I was amazed that all five could just about disappear underneath 'his' partly-spread wings.

Adult Spotted Sandpiper with young at the flooded fields by Green Pond, Northampton County. The last two birds are scrambling for cover underneath the parent bird.

Also seen there were the male Blue-winged Teal, 35 Killdeer, 15 Spotted Sandpipers, a Solitary Sandpiper, and 2 Least Sandpipers.

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