For those of us who love birding, this is a great time of year. Flocks of thousands of Semipalmated Sandpipers can be seen moving through the marshes like one single-minded entity controlled by unseen forces. Dowitchers, Dunlin, and Yellow-Legs line the mudflats. It is one of those amazing spectacles of nature that should not be missed.

But there is one very slight drawback of this wondrous event. Shorebirds will make you crazy! There, I said it! Throw me out of whatever bird club you like. Trying to identify shorebirds will have you talking to yourself. There have been days when my wife has considered sending out a “Silver Alert” for me because I have spent so much time at the Meadowlands panning through flocks of shorebirds trying to distinguish a White-Rumped Sandpiper from a Pectoral Sandpiper. 

“Thanks officer. Tell my wife I will be home in a few days. I am just looking at shorebirds.”

Oh sure the field guides pretend to help you, but I believe it may just be a part of a well-organized conspiracy to drive birders insane. For example, the bill length of the Short-billed Dowitcher and the Long-billed Dowitcher is the same! I know, I know…the bill length of the female Short-Bill is the same as the male Long-Bill, or is it the other way around?

There you see! Oh yes, and the field guides say you can also identify them by their sowing machine feeding action, but just when you think it is safe to continue through your book, you realize that the Stilt Sandpiper does the same thing! Just shoot me now, please.

And what about those peeps! You know, those little birds like Semipalmated Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers. All the experts tell us that they are easy to identify. The Semis have black little legs and the Least have little yellow legs. Well that should be easy, right? Unless they are standing in mud. Little tiny yellow legs in black mud? Good luck with that little tip.

Oh, but the Semipalmated Sandpiper has partially webbed feet, they tell us, so that will make it easier. WELL THEY ARE STANDING IN THE MUD. WHAT DON’T THEY GET? Now on second thought it could be a Western Sandpiper too. Hmmm? Excuse me while I look for an aspirin.

Okay, now let’s talk about Yellow-Legs. We have the Lesser and Greater Yellow-legs and the field guides tell us…On second thought, never mind. There is hope for those of us who are shorebird challenged. Like a superhero of shore birding, Kevin Karlson will come to our rescue on August 20th at Dekorte Park in the Meadowlands at the 3rd Annual Kevin Karlson Shorebird Day sponsored by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society. 

We will all get to learn firsthand from the master himself, noted shorebird expert and nature photographer Kevin Karlson. Kevin will take us on two 90-minute bird walks at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. At 1 p.m., he will present a talk called “Tips on Becoming a Better Birder.” At 2 p.m., Kevin will discuss and show images from his latest books. At 2:45 p.m., he and another noted photographer, Lloyd Spitalnik, will lead an hour-long wildlife photography workshop. It’s a great day of learning and birding in the Meadowlands, and it is all free and open to everyone.

Now let’s reopen our field guides and discuss the Spotted Sandpiper. Sometimes they have no spots at all, that is when you look for…See you on August 20th.
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