Least Sandpiper Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: Least Sandpipers are a pretty common migrant, and I have quite a few photos, but I don't have "the" photo in my own mind. Either it's not great lighting, a bad angle, or some other issue. The one below is probably my favorite, as you get a good profile and a view of those yellow legs that are such an ID key for these guys. From May 2013 in Lake County, South Dakota.

Least Sandpiper - Calidris minutilla


Least Sandpiper 1	Least Sandpiper 2	Least Sandpiper 3	Least Sandpiper 4
May 14th, 2004	May 14th, 2004	May 14th, 2004	May 3rd, 2020
Madison Waterfowl Production Area, South Dakota	Madison Waterfowl Production Area, South Dakota	Madison Waterfowl Production Area, South Dakota	Lincoln County, South Dakota
Spring plumage bird standing on a mossy rock	Breeding plumage bird foraging in shallow water	Breeding plumage bird on a mossy rock	Spring bird posing on a muddy wetland shoreline

Least Sandpiper 5	Least Sandpiper 6	Least Sandpiper 7	Least Sandpiper 8
May 3rd, 2020	August 30th, 2009	May 9th, 2011	May 9th, 2011
Lincoln County, South Dakota	Lake Thompson, South Dakota	Near Worthing, South Dakota	Near Worthing, South Dakota
Spring bird posing on a muddy wetland shoreline	Returning fall migrant standing in shallow water	Spring migrant not quite in full breeding plumage	Spring migrant standing on the one dry patch around

Least Sandpiper 9	Least Sandpiper 10	Least Sandpiper 11	Least Sandpiper 12
May 9th, 2011	May 17th, 2013	May 17th, 2013	May 17th, 2013
Near Worthing, South Dakota	Lake County, South Dakota	Lake County, South Dakota	Lake County, South Dakota
Sandpiper foraging in the mucky mud	Spring bird not quite in breeding plumage, foraging in wetland	Profile of a spring bird foraging on a wetland shoreline	Spring plumage bird taking a step in the shallow water

Least Sandpiper 13	Least Sandpiper 14	Least Sandpiper 15	Least Sandpiper 16
May 4th, 2015	May 4th, 2015	May 4th, 2015	May 3rd, 2020
Lake Lakota, Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota	Lake Lakota, Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota	Lake Lakota, Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota	Lincoln County, South Dakota
Profile of breeding plumaged spring bird foraging in the water	Breeding plumaged bird foraging in shallow water	Spring plumage sandpiper probing in the mud	Spring migrant foraging in shallow water