Along the Willamette River out at Mt. Pisgah, there are areas where stones have been deposited and weathered smooth. These regions, known as bars, become more exposed as the water recedes during the dry months of summer. These bars are interspersed with small thickets of willow and provide a great environment for birds to bathe, drink water, forage for food, and nest.
Over the past few years, including this one, I have seen spotted sandpipers raising a family out at Mt. Pisgah. As I approach the river, I usually hear them before I see them. Peterson describes their vocalization as a “clear peet or peet-weet! or peet-weet-weet-weet-weet.”
When you see them you’ll notice that they have a curious behavior of bobbing their tails up and down. It is a fluid, teetering movement that even the new fledglings do. They usually fly low over the water. They have quick, fluttering wing beats interspersed with short glides.
During breeding, the breast of this elegant, little bird becomes adorned with spots. Its nonbreeding and juvenile plumage doesn’t have spots.
I read this about their behavior on the website All About Birds by The Cornell Lab: “Spotted Sandpipers were one of the first bird species described in which the roles of the males and females are reversed. Males are usually smaller, less aggressive, and tend the nest and young. Meanwhile, the larger females fight for territories and may be polyandrous, meaning they mate with more than one male.”
This year I see 3 fledglings. They leave the nest soon after hatching, and they are an adorable ball of downy feathers.
I love this bird. Check them out.
