Imagine a sparrow sized ball of muscle and feathers flying over 12,500 miles. Amazingly enough the Semi-palmated Sandpiper does this every year and can cover the distance from the Bay of Fundy to the northeast coast of South America in one single, non-stop marathon flight of 72 hours. To do this it has to double it's weight by eating up to 20,000 mud shrimp daily. The only place to do this for 75% of the world's population is the mud flats of the Bay of Fundy. The food is there but they also need peace and quiet to accomplish this "tanking up". People who disturb them or let their dogs chase them endanger the birds effort to get ready for their incredible endurance contest.
Edie and I camped at the Land of Evangeline Campground near Wolfville, Nova Scotia while I attempted to photograph the sandpipers. My usual technique for shorebirds is to get low and if you have tides to use them to your advantage. An incoming tide will push birds to you and if you remain quiet the birds will not be alarmed. Often they will continue to feed all around you and sometimes be too close to even focus on. Your enemies are beach strollers with their dogs who will put the birds to flight stressing them. Another enemy is hawks. When the whole flock takes off for no apparent reason there is probably a Merlin hunting for a meal. Often the birds will return to the same spot when the drama is all over - minus one of their colleagues.
Although 75% of the shorebirds found here will be Semipalmated Sandpipers, another 20% will be Semiplamated Plovers which look quite different from the sandpipers.
Twelve different species can be found here but the other 10 species make up only the remaining 5%.
A few Sanderlings allowed themselves to be photographed.
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