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Location: Lake Murray, La Mesa, CA
Date: 2002-11-01
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Date: 2002-11-01
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularia
DescriptionThis is one of the few shorebirds that nests in within the US. These birds are easily spotted in flight by their stiff winged flying. Feeds on small invertebrates that it extracts from the mud and sand.
Brown upperparts, white underparts. Pale supercilium and dark eyeline. Orange bill with a black tip. Small, dark wingbars. During breeding, the chest and belly are covered with black spots. During non-breeding, upperparts are plain brown, underparts show no spots, and the chest has brown smudges on both sides. Sexes similar. 7 to 8 inches in length.
Ponds and streams.
Nesting4 buff colored eggs with brown spots and a 20-24 day incubation period. Fledging occurs 17-21 days after hatching. The nest is a slight ground depression lined with grass or moss.
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