Epic Shorebird Fallout, 05/31/25

I was hoping the heavy overnight rains would bring in some shorebirds to the area… little did I know what the day would have in store for us – it was truly a historic day of shorebirding in the area. My first stop in the black dirt set the tone – I had a remarkable 25 Ruddy Turnstones, 20 Dunlin, and over 100 Semipalmated Sandpipers. From there, the day just kept delivering – shorebirds seemed to be at every turn. The bird of the day was definitely RED KNOT. Bruce Nott lived up to his name and located the first of this species; eventually 7 individuals would be observed in Orange County (that I heard about: 6 in the black dirt, and one in Montgomery). In second place was a single RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, which was also located by Bruce.

~Semipalmated Sandpipers and Dunlin in flight. Black Dirt Region, 05/31/25.

I was all over the black dirt region today, and I personally tallied 12 different species of shorebirds for the day; here’s my list with approximate totals. Goodness knows how many actual individuals were in the county – I had birds that were too distant to identify as well as a couple of flocks flying over which are not included in these estimates.

  • Killdeer (18)
  • Semipalmated Plover (5)
  • Black-bellied Plover (9)
  • Least Sandpiper (4)
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper (600+)
  • Spotted Sandpiper (6)
  • White-rumped Sandpiper (2)
  • Short-billed Dowitcher (65+)
  • Dunlin (75+)
  • Ruddy Turnstone (100+)
  • RED KNOT (4)
  • RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (1)
~As we have grown to expect in our area, most shorebirds were quite distant. This was a nice close encounter with a flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers. Black Dirt Region, 05/31/25.~

Sullivan County had a great day too – I heard some reports as the day progressed. Click here for John Haas’ account of the day in Sullivan County on his blog, Bashakill Birder. These are the days we wait for and thoroughly enjoy when they do occur. What a day!

~Ruddy Turnstones, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and one Short-billed Dowitcher in flight. Black dirt region, 05/31/25.~
~Who’s having fun? This guy. Here I am shorebirding in the rain, in the black dirt during an epic fallout on 05/31/25. Photo by Linda Scrima. ~
~One of four Ruddy Turnstones that were close enough for photos. Black Dirt Region, 05/31/25.~
~Semipalmated Sandpiper in the black dirt, 05/31/25.~
~This is a terrible photo, but I had to include at least one RED KNOT photo. Black dirt 05/31/25.~

4 thoughts on “Epic Shorebird Fallout, 05/31/25”

  1. Great Photos! Thanks for sharing. It’s amazing what we see when we go out during the worst weather. No matter what’s happening…The Birds are always doing “their thing”.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Patty! The weather really dictates what the birds are doing and what you’ll see if you get out. I hate birding in the rain, but I do it all the time because it very often produces the best birds. Thanks for checking in. Matt

      Reply

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