4 May Photos: Hummingbirds and Shorebirds

Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) and Short-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus) foraged on the shore line.

Short-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus) and Black Turnstones (Arenaria melanocephala)

The deep snow has started sliding down the mountain slopes.

Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) are Rare migrants in the Sitka, area.

Two Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) and a Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

I was interested to notice the different plumages on the Rock Sandpipers (Calidris ptilocnemis)

This Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) seemed quite brown.

Typical colored male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

This male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) seems to be closer to the less common green-backed form.

Female Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Male Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Black Turnstones made up the bulk of the shorebirds, but Surfbirds and Rock Sandpipers can be seen among them in this photo.

I would guess there were well over 1000 shorebirds on the beach. Those shown here were a small portion of the total.

I noticed some Short-billed Dowitchers and Pacific Golden Plovers among the Black Turnstones.

Most of these are Black Turnstones, but the larger gray birds with a single white stripe are Surfbirds. The smallest birds are Rock Sandpipers.

Surfbirds (Aphriza virgata) and a Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)

A lone Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) among Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)