![\"Vitalii](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/semipalmated-sandpiper-credit-Vitalii-Khustochka-Flickr-user-phenolog.jpg\")
Vitalii Khustochka\/Flickr phenolog<\/p><\/div>\n
These sparrow-sized birds can be found on practically any beach during migration. They\u2019re grayish above and white below, with black legs and a slightly curved dark bill. Though it\u2019s usually impossible to see, their toes are partially webbed\u2014a quality that gives them the name \u201csemipalmated\u201d.<\/p>\n
These widespread birds\u00a0undertake truly incredible journeys. They breed on the tundra from Labrador to Alaska, and many spend the winter on the northern coasts of South America and as far south as the southern coast of Brazil.<\/p>\n
Careful observation may reveal two noticeable \u201cpulses\u201d of semipalmated sandpiper activity on our shores. As with many Arctic and sub-Arctic nesting species, the adults head south first, and the young birds strike out on their own a few weeks later.<\/p>\n
Semipalmated plovers<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/semipalmated-plover-credit-Justin-Lawson-Flickr-user-bumpylemon.jpg\")
Justin Lawson\/Flickr bumpylemon<\/p><\/div>\n
These cute round shorebirds look like smaller versions of the more familiar killdeer that breed in Massachusetts fields, but they have only a single black collar instead of two. Like all plovers, their beaks are stubby and their legs are yellowish.<\/p>\n
Once again, their\u00a0name comes from the partial webbing between their toes. They typically nest on gravel bars in sub-Arctic rivers and other flat ground in the far north. They spend the cold months on coastal areas from the mid-Atlantic states to Argentina and Chile in South America.<\/p>\n
Sanderlings<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/sanderling-credit-Greg-Schechter-Flickr-user-gregthebusker.jpg\")
Greg Schechter\/Flickr gregthebusker<\/p><\/div>\n
If you\u2019ve ever delighted in the sight of shorebirds scurrying back and forth as they chase waves on a beach, you probably know sanderlings. These pale grey-brown birds characteristically follow ebbing waves as they quickly pick up small crustaceans and other marine creatures in the sand.<\/p>\n
They nest\u00a0in the high Arctic, and\u00a0travel south to winter on both temperate and warmer beaches all the way to extreme southern South America.<\/p>\n
Greater yellowlegs<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Justin](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/greater-yellowlegs-credit-Justin-Lawson-Flickr-user-bumpylemon.jpg\")
Justin Lawson\/Flickr bumpylemon<\/p><\/div>\n
These tall, slender shorebirds and their slightly smaller relatives, the lesser yellowlegs, have\u2014you guessed it\u2014bright yellow legs. Greater yellowlegs are active feeders, and you’ll often see them wading along the shore or running in the shallows waving their beaks back and forth as they pursue prey.<\/p>\n
They breed in northern Canadian bogs, and winter from the mid-Atlantic states south through South America.<\/p>\n
Short-billed dowitchers<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Flickr](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/short-billed-dowitcher-credit-Flickr-user-albertovo5.jpg\")
Flickr albertovo5<\/p><\/div>\n
What\u2019s in a name? These so-called \u201cshort-billed\u201d birds actually have fairly long bills, though often shorter in comparison to their relative,\u00a0the long-billed dowitcher.<\/p>\n
Dark brownish-red with pale legs,\u00a0they\u00a0use their beaks to drill into the mud like sewing machines as they work the tide line in search of sand worms and other small creatures.<\/p>\n
They can be found breeding up to slightly north of the tree line from\u00a0Canada to Alaska, and they migrate to coastal areas from the mid-Atlantic states to as far south as southern Peru.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The end of summer brings a new kind of beachgoer: waves of shorebirds that stop by Massachusetts beaches as they migrate south for the winter. This spectacle began in early July, and though\u00a0we’re nearing the end of its peak (mid-August), it will continue through mid-November. Where to Look Migratory shorebirds can appear on practically any […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[28],"class_list":["post-3857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes","tag-birds"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-10d","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8086,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-showy-shorebirds\/","url_meta":{"origin":3857,"position":0},"title":"Take 5: Showy Shorebirds","author":"Ryan D.","date":"August 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you've ever enjoyed a day at the beach, no doubt you have been entertained by the antics of a few fleet-footed shorebirds as they scurry about in the waves, looking for morsels of food buried in the sand. As summer begins to wane, migratory shorebirds begin their long, annual\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dunlins \u00a9 Paul McCarthy, Photo Contest 2015","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/08\/1123Paul_McCarthy11524_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/08\/1123Paul_McCarthy11524_1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/08\/1123Paul_McCarthy11524_1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16219,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/top-wildlife-sanctuaries-for-shorebird-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":3857,"position":1},"title":"Top Wildlife Sanctuaries for Shorebird Migration","author":"William Freedberg","date":"August 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Late summer is peak season for watching shorebirds in Massachusetts. While most songbirds are laying low as they wrap up raising their young and molting (i.e. growing new feathers), shorebirds like sandpipers, plovers, and godwits are already on the move for the fall. Mass Audubon protects locally-breeding shorebirds through\u00a0our\u00a0Coastal Waterbird\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Birds & Birding"","block_context":{"text":"Birds & Birding","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/birds-birding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/N8A3045SMALL-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/N8A3045SMALL-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/N8A3045SMALL-750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/08\/N8A3045SMALL-750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1154,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/birding-after-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":3857,"position":2},"title":"Birding After Migration","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"We have turned the seasonal corner. The swallows are gone, the egrets have fled, and \u00a0shorebirds and warblers have pushed their way south. You may well ask, \u201cWhat do we do we look for now?\u201d In many ways, Massachusetts is perfectly suited for winter birding, thanks in part to our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/11\/purple-sandpiper_Richard-Johnson-and-Mass-Audubon.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7362,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-piping-plovers\/","url_meta":{"origin":3857,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: Piping Plovers","author":"Hillary T.","date":"April 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Piping plovers are back! These small, sand colored shorebirds have faced hard times in the past. But thanks to the efforts of Mass Audubon's Coastal Waterbird Program, residents, and beach goers, plovers in Massachusetts have increased five-fold in the last 30 years. Plovers will\u00a0soon be laying eggs on our beaches.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/03\/WilliamWrobel2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/03\/WilliamWrobel2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/03\/WilliamWrobel2011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15773,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/protecting-endangered-species-at-mass-audubon\/","url_meta":{"origin":3857,"position":4},"title":"Protecting Endangered Species at Mass Audubon","author":"William Freedberg","date":"May 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Mass Audubon protects dozens of endangered species with different strategies from habitat protection, science-based management plans, and advocacy. Here are just a few of the ways we\u2019re watching out for rare and declining wildlife. Helping Shorebirds Share the Beach Piping Plovers and Least Terns nest on the ground along Massachusetts\u2019\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7584,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/100-great-wildlife-sanctuary-birding-spots\/","url_meta":{"origin":3857,"position":5},"title":"100 Great Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Spots","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon\u2019s annual birding competition takes place on May 13-14. Teams of birders will attempt to see (or hear) the most species in a 24-hour time span. At the same time, birders and \u201cBird-a-thon\u00a0Boosters\u201d are raising money to support wildlife sanctuaries and programs. To kick-off Bird-a-thon and celebrate 100\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3857"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8057,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3857\/revisions\/8057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Jerry](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/08\/JerryFishbein.jpg\")
<\/a>