Over 100 Turnstones at Inch Marlow

Ruddy Turnstone beautifully adorned in breeding plumage 

I made a midday stop yesterday (April 23rd) at Inch Marlow Beach, Christ Church to see what birds were there.  

Looking South toward the Inch Marlow's peninsula

The beach and the sea were bursting with Sargassum Seaweed, the golden color of the fresh seaweed dominated the sea and shoreline, while the older one was further back on the beach.  The tide and the winds were high, causing angry waves to throw a tantrum as there lash against the unyielding rocky shores of the peninsula, but effortlessly reshaping the sandy shores at Long Beach to the north. 

Ruddy Turnstones at various stages of molting

A few species of shorebirds were on the rocky shore. They were a Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla), Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus)(4), Sanderlings (Calidris alba) (5), but the bird that dominated was the Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) (111) at various stages of molting to breeding plumage.

Sanderlings and Ruddy Turnstones

The birds appeared to be mostly at rest, punctuated periodically by self-grooming and the preening of feathers.  Ruddy Turnstones are one of the most colorful shorebirds when in breeding plumage and we are having a front-row seat of this transformation.  Disappointedly there are some of the few birds we get to witness make this full yearly change, as many of them, like the Sanderlings (Calidris alba), will begin the process here, but will migrate before the process is complete.  I am hoping to document as many species as possible, especially shorebirds, as their change to breeding plumage.   

Until the next post stay safe.