Sandpipers (28)

American Woodcock
An uncommon winter resident, found in rural areas, which are best seen at dusk or dawn. We have had very few reports since 1996. The LCBC high count of 3 was in 1992.

Photo: Herman
Wilson's Snipe
A common winter visitor, October to early April, found exclusively in wetlands. They are usually found in small numbers but 200 were once reported in a flooded a field near Waverly. This species was formerly called the Common Snipe but split to accommodate the European birds of the same name. This is the bird of the legendary " snipe hunt" of our youth. The LCBC high count of 234 was in 1995.

Marbled Godwit
Godwits are normally found near salt water but we have a record from Dundee in April 1994 along with two birds found in a PPM in September 1984.

Hudsonian Godwit
They are not expected inland but we have one record from the PPM in November 1986 and a second in 1992.

Upland Sandpiper
A rare visitor, seen in a phosphate mine in 1986 and one at Hilochie reserve north of I-4 in the fall of 2007.

Greater Yellowlegs
A fairly common resident, absent in midsummer. Mostly found in the PPM but rarely more than a dozen are found at a time. They are easily confused with the Lesser Yellowlegs. ( A Lesser Yellowlegs is in the picture forground for compairson) A high count of 29 was reported in April 2005. The LCBC high count of 67 was in 1995.

Lesser Yellowlegs
A locally common visitor of the PPM usually absent in midsummer. Thousands can be found on a single mud flat. A high count of 6,000 in Sepember 1989 was recorded. The LCBC high count of 412 was in 1986.

Solitary Sandpiper
An uncommon migrant found mostly in phosphate mines. Like its name, they are found, not surprisingly, singulary. The high count of 29 was found at the Circle B-Bar Reserve on 17 April 2004. The LCBC high count of 2 was in 1988.

Spotted Sandpiper
An uncommon winter visitor, absent in midsummer, usually found in sewage lagoons and lake edges.They can be identified by a characteristicly flat wing beat. Normally found singulary or in pairs. The LCBC high count of 10 was in 1978.

Willet
Although almost never found away from salt water, we had a rare visitor from the coast which was last seen in April 2000 in a PPM.

Ruddy Turnstone
A very rare visitor last seen in May of 2005 and before that May of 1999 in a PPM. High count of 4 noted in September 1989. Normally this species is found on one of the coasts.

Photo:S Schenk

Short-billed Dowitcher
An uncommon migrant and winter visitor, absent in mid summer, found mostly in the PPM. At times hundreds can be found. High count of 2,100 in April 1989. This dowitcher is mostly found in coastal saltwater marshes. The two dowitcher species are extremely difficult to identify. The LCBC high count of 53 was in 1985.

Long-billed Dowitcher
By far the most common dowitcher here, found year round except for mid summer, mostly in the PPM. Because the two species of dowitcher are so similar in appearance, much more field work is needed for proper identification. As a general rule most inland dowitchers are reported as long-billed. 1,550 found at 4-Corners mine, November 2003. The LCBC high count of 394 was in 2003 and 341 in 2000.

Red Knot
Extremely rare inland so a single record from the PPM in 1992 was very unusual.

Photo: S Schenk

Sanderling
A very rare visitor from the coasts with a handfull of records, the last being one in May of 2005 and before that of six birds located in a PPM in 1995.

Baird’s Sandpiper
This sandpiper is rarely identified in Florida. We have one record from a PPM in November 1986, the second on 12 May 2001 at the Fort Green mine.

Semipalmated Sandpiper
A common migrant, May/June and August, found mostly in thePPM and wetlands. Absent in midsummer and winter. A high count of 23,750 was recorded in May of 2011, 15,400 on 15 May 2005, 14,525 on 12 May 2001 and 7,900 in May 1998.

Western Sandpiper
A fairly common migrant mostly in the fall, found in phosphate mines and other wetlands. This is the only dark-legged small peep found in winter. Westerns are easily confused with Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers. A high count of 2,350 in November of 2003 was claimed, and 300 in August 1995. The LCBC high count of 6 was in 1994.

Least Sandpiper
A common resident found all year except mid summer in phosphate mines and wetlands. Several thousand can be found per day. It has yellow legs and a bib, but that is not always visible. On November 5, 1986 an estimated 30,000 peeps were reported from the pits near Homeland and most were Least Sandpipers. This was the second largest concentration of shorebirds in the history of Polk County. Locally they are called "sand mice" because of their small size and habit of scurring about. In November of 2003, 15,500 were at the 4-Corners phosphate mine. The LCBC high count of 409 was in 2001 and 394 in 2000.

White-rumped Sandpiper
An uncommon migrant, April/May and September, found mostly in the PPM. The white rump is rarely visable. The best clue are long tail feathers. The high count of 31 was in May 1999.

Photo: C L Geanangel

Pectoral Sandpiper
An uncommon migrant, expected in the PPM in March and August/September. Usually found singulary or in small flocks. Locally called "kreeker". The high count of 35 was in September 1997.

Dunlin
An uncommon migrant, April/May and September- November, usually found in the PPM. When they do occur it will be singularly or in small flocks. High count of 51 in November 1986 and 23 in November 2003. The LCBC maximum of 3 was in 2000.

Photo: C L Geanangel

Stilt Sandpiper
A fairly common winter visitor and migrant, August - May, mostly found in the PPM. Hundreds can be found in a day. High count of 9,700 in May 2005 and 5,000 in November 1986. The LCBC high count of 82 was in 1985.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper
A rare migrant with one early record in September 1984 and a second at a PPM in 1989. Three were seen at at the Avon Park Cutoff road sod field in southeastern Polk in September of 2010. This sod farm has become the best spot in Polk to see these birds.

Ruff
A rare European stray; one record was from the Lakeland sewage lagoons in 1986 and a second from the Avon Park Cut-off road sod field in September of 2002. This picture is the non breeding plumage most birds found here have. Like many shorebirds, this is not an easy bird to identify properly.

Curlew Sandpiper
A single record from Lake Hancock in April, 1968 after a natural drawdown caused by a sinkhole. This species is a stray from overseas. Identification is difficult.

Wilson’s Phalarope
A unusual migrant with records scattered through the year. They are mostly found in the PPM in small numbers. This species was last seen in January of 2011. High count of 19 was in November 1986.

Red-necked Phalarope
This is not a common bird anywhere in Florida. Our only records are from the PPM. Our first report was 6 birds in May 1986, one was seen in 1989 and a single bird was found on October 14, 2001 at the 4 Corners mine.

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