Spotted a Non-Spotted Spotted Sandpiper

Dex Hinckley (dhinckley@igc.apc.org)
Sun, 13 Sep 1998 17:09:38 -0700 (PDT)


During a quick visit (10:30-12:00) on Sunday, Sep. 13th, I
saw a small sandpiper feeding in the mud around a catchment
basin at Overlook, a development N of Edsall road, just
inside Shirley Hwy.  It was bobbing its tail, a mark of
the Spotted Sandpiper - but it had no spots!  Peterson's 
guide (p. 133) showed me that this species has no spots in
fall and winter.  I had seen Solitary Sandpipers come through
our area spring and fall but this was my first sighting of
a non-spotted Spotted Sandpiper in the fall.

Dex Hinckley
Alexandria (Fairfax Co.), VA