American Pipits!

American Pipit

A lifer for me and year bird # 251

After McCormick's Mill today where I added Solitary Sandpiper (see previous post), I decided to take a run into Rockingham County and try for some year birds there.  Jackpot!  At well known birding location Leonard's Pond there were good birds everywhere it seemed!  Bonaparte's Gulls, Spotted Sandpiper, and more.  That's all great but what did I really need?  A year bird.  I have already picked up a good deal of the shorebirds, the only one I could really find that would possibly be coming through now in this region is Pectoral Sandpiper and that seemed like a really far off bet.  I was hanging out at the pond, then I spotted something on the shore of the pond.  Doesn't look like a shorebird.  Odd place to see a robin.  What is it?  So, I do a typical birder move and swing the scope on to it.  American Pipits -- 3 American Pipits!  That's a bird that I've been looking for a long time and a lifer for me.

The photos were just quick snapshots, and nothing compared to the excellent photo of the Solitary Sandpiper in my previous post, but I've included it in this post for you to take a look at.

Until later

KestrelSwan