Wader Wonders: One late summer morning in a puddle ...

Late last summer, a large puddle in an accessible area of a construction site on Pier 8 in Hamilton became a stop-over for migrating sandpipers. You just never know where you'll find puddles supporting migrating shorebirds! Thanks to Alvan Buckley for discovering this unlikely spot for some wader watching.

After spending an hour one late afternoon photographing a Baird's Sandpiper that Alvan had found in the pond, I decided to come back early the next morning to set up for closer photos in better light. I arrived just before sunrise, although the sky was already starting to turn red and orange. I could see it was going to be a very colourful sunrise, making for interesting light and reflections on the pond's still surface. A red sky in the morning might be a sailor's warning, but for photographing wading birds, it's ecstasy!

As I scanned for the Baird's in the low light, I could see there was a bunch of little peeps moving along the pond edges and venturing out into the water. Unfortunately, the Baird's was gone, but there was a mixed dozen of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers along with a Spotted Sandpiper, a Lesser Yellowlegs and a half dozen or so Killdeer. Disappointed that the Baird's had left over night, I decided to make the most of the situation and photograph the birds that were present in this incredible morning light.

The photos here were all taken during a 90-minute period, starting just after sunrise on August 25, 2021. The colour tones created by the light changed dramatically during this time, making for a vibrant variety of light. 

I hope you're using a desktop, laptop, or tablet rather than your phone. These photos look much better large. Also, Blogger softens images placed inline with the text, so if you click the photos, you'll get a much sharper version.

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Let's start with some feeding Semipalmated Sandpipers (SESA).

Semipalmated Sandpipers feeding together.

A lone Semipalmated Sandpiper contemplating its next move.

A SESA checks me out.

Rings

SESA Portrait

Spotted Sandpiper

This Spotted Sandpiper (SPSA) landed very close to me, but over to my right side. I was sitting on my cool stool, so I had to slowly and quietly rotate my tripod head and adjust the tripod legs to get these photos. It was clearly aware of me, as the photos illustrate, but moving slowly and quietly seemed to keep it at ease.

A Spotted Sandpiper checking me out.

This Spotted Sandpiper didn't seem too worried about me.

By now, this SPSA decided I made it uncomfortable.

Lesser Yellowlegs

This Lesser Yellowlegs (LEYE) was the first bird I photographed that morning, when the sun was just starting to rise and the orange sky was reflecting beautifully in the water. At times, the bird came so close I couldn't focus on it.

The morning light was spectacular when this Lesser Yellowlegs started feeding.

LEYE prepping for the photo shoot.

This feather is out of place!

Splish splash ...

Lesser Yellowlegs

Sometimes, even when your target bird isn't there, all the conditions are just right for taking multiple good shots of other, more commonly seen birds. This was one of those days!

Until next time, happy birding!

Mis-naming Long-tailed Ducks: If we want to be scientific, let's be scientific

It is well past time for the term "Oldsquaw" to be made obsolete as a reference to Long-tailed Ducks. The term is demeaning and insulting and represents the perspective of "white supremacy" where it's okay to use racist terminology in naming species. It's not surprising that those who defend its use, or defend those who use it, are normally those who aren't referenced by the term. It's an example of naming the other out of disrespect for the other and as an act of power over the other. Folks who are unable to see this, or who refuse to see it, are typically stupid white fucks (SWFs) who benefit from their sheltered positions of privilege. They might be justifiably insulted by my calling them SWFs, but I do so not because I want to engage in a battle of name-calling; on the contrary, I do so in a feeble attempt to raise their awareness of what it might feel like to be named something demeaning.

In the year 2000, the American Ornithological Society, the North American group responsible for naming bird species, officially rejected "Oldsquaw" in favour of "Long-tailed Duck." Twenty-two years later, and some birders still insist on using the deprecated name. I even heard of one seasoned birder in my local area saying that it was a term of endearment! I'm not sure what universe that birder lives in, but it's not the same universe everyone else occupies, and it's certainly not a universe based on respect and inclusion. Of course, maybe that birder thinks being called a SWF is a term of endearment too. Just to be clear, it is not intended that way.

I've tried to imagine why the term persists for some birders. In my albeit limited experience, it's mainly older, seasoned birders who continue to misname Long-tailed Ducks. For some, it could be just the force of habit. In this day and age, when we're being asked to review our day-to-day naming terminology out of respect for others, it's okay to make mistakes so long as one owns up to it and tries to correct themselves.

But I think that some folks use the term purposely to preserve something they feel is being threatened in local birding communities. That something, I believe, is their reputation as authorities or centres of knowledge within local birding communities. We would never say it's okay for respected authorities of other knowledge communities to use racist terminology (can you imagine Noam Chomsky using racist epithets in his critique of neoliberal capitalism?), so why should we think it's okay for anyone to use racist terminology in birding knowledge communities? It seems to me that those who wish to protect racist terminology are trying to protect themselves from the change that comes when others contribute to shaping knowledge communities.

The strangely funny thing is that the folks who defend the misnaming of Long-tailed Ducks are the often the same people who insist on accuracy in identifying species. Identification, they rightly argue, should be based upon scientific principles of objective and accurate observation. Yet, what is scientifically objective and accurate about a racist name for a bird? Long-tailed Duck is far more accurate in its use of a unique identifying feature. The rebuttal here could be that the unique sound of a group of Long-tailed Ducks sounds like a group of elder indigenous women. That's simply ludicrous! And it's also just not scientifically accurate. Only a SWF could argue otherwise.