Know your peep
Nature Trail by Malcolm Palmer
American birders use the word 'Peep' as a collective noun to describe small waders - the term being reasonably descriptive of the calls uttered by some of them.
Judging from the queries I receive, they continue to cause confusion, despite the fact that there are rather fewer species here - normally - than on the other side of the Atlantic.
By far the most numerous is the Dunlin. Adults are unmistakeable in late spring, or early autumn, when traces of breeding plumage show, black patches on the belly being evident.
Otherwise, they tend to have rather longer - and slightly downcurved - bills than their smaller cousins, the stints. (Beware, this character is variable) Little Stints are the next most common here, overwintering in good numbers, always showing their well-marked back, which has a sort of 'W' pattern in flight.
They lack the breast-band which is always a mark of the much scarcer, freshwater-loving Temminck's Stint, a tiny wader with an unmarked back and yellow legs, unlike the dark ones of the previous species.
A more 'chunky,' black-andwhite toned wader usually seen on sandy shores is the Sanderling, given to running rapidly in and out in small flocks as waves bring in small morsels on the shoreline. Slightly larger than any of these, and usually only seen in April/May and August/September on its way between Arctic breeding grounds and African wintering sites, is the Curlew Sandpiper.
Slightly larger than the Dunlin, it has a longer and more markedly decurved bill, and shows a white rump in flight. Birds which retain traces of breeding plumage in early autumn often have beautiful chocolate-toned plumage. I can't pretend that is a complete list, but if you are quite familiar with that lot, you will know if anything rarer turns up!
Do contact me if you have any queries or observations of interest - my email address is malcaves@yahoo.es