Flagged Semipalmated Sandpipers found

Cynthia Ehlinger sent us the following information about a great recent sighting and then a terrific second one:

"Aug 10, 2013  10:40 - 10:50 am, near low tide
Yellow Flag PA7 Semipalmated Sandpiper feeding in a small flock of 1 Least and 2 additional Semipalmated Sandpipers at Greenwich Point Park "

Take a look!

Cynthia had already reported the banded bird and we asked her to send us the information she received back on it. During this wait she saw the bird a couple more times:

"Aug 13, 2013  3:50 - 4:20 pm, high tide
Semipalmated Sandpiper -.Yellow Flag  PA7 on upper right;  metal band on upper left feeding in a flock of 1 Least, 3 Semipalmated Plover, 3 Ruddy Turnstone, 53 Semipalmated Sandpipers at Greenwich Point Park"

Cynthia also found another tagged bird before even hearing back the banding information about the first one!

"While looking for Semipalmated Sandpiper PA7 ( which I did not find), I discovered another tagged shorebird at Greenwich Point Park today, 8/18 about 11:00 am. Semipalmated Sandpiper feeding with flock of about 36 SESA  plus 2 Ruddy Turnstone and 2 Semipalmated Plover. Band on upper left leg was dark blue band over yellow flag tag LYM. Metal band on right leg."

When Cynthia heard back on the band returns she found out that the Semipalmated Sandpiper with flag PA7 was banded this past spring on April 26 at Warappakreek study site, Commewijne District, Suriname. The second bird was banded in French Guiana in January 2010.

Our thanks to Cynthia for all of the hard work from the observations to the photos to the reporting, all while keeping us in the loop. Please be on the lookout for birds like hers and let us know if you see any!


Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut Audubon Society partnering to improve conditions for coastal waterbirds in Connecticut.