These little sleeping birds are dunlins (Calidris alpina). Notice how all of the birds on the outer fringes on the group have their beak tucked under the wing facing away from center. I read about this behavior with another bird species. It's a defensive measure. Many bird species can keep part of their brain awake and keep on
"Shorebird hybrids are very rare, but careful observation by birders have turned up hybrids between Dunlin and at least two other arctic-nesting species: White-rumped Sandpiper and Purple Sandpiper." - allaboutbirds.org
Flora and fauna photos taken in this set are of: 1. A neat and alluring Ruff we enjoyed watching wade in fishtail lagoon, a bird I love and we were lucky to get brilliant views of it. 2 and 10. A lovely Lapwing which we enjoyed closely nearby the Ruff, delightful to see its reflection. 3. Stunning Curlew Sandpipers. I was amazed to see seven of these prepossessing, distinctive and charming waders in the corner of fishtail lagoon, my Mum spotted eight. Some of these elegant birds had a nice rusty brown front. This is a bird we always feel extremely lucky if we can just see one of once in a year, in some previous years like this one we've seen them multiple times at coastal sites but we'd never seen so many at once before. This was sensational, a big moment in my autumn migration and birding year. 4. A nice Roe Deer we and some nice people we got chatting to enjoyed seeing. 5. Some of my first sea aster of the year, a very pretty flower and a key one here at this time of year. 6. Ringed Plover behind a Black-headed Gull on fishtail lagoon, it was good to see decent numbers of these today. 7. One of a few nice young Shelducks we saw. 8. Soapwort, a unique flower I like seeing here. 9. Blackberries.
It was brilliant to be back here seeing a great amount of birds, waders and ducks really shining today. Other highlights included many Dunlins, Little Stint, Knot, Redshank, Curlew, Oystercatcher, a fair few Black-tailed Godwits, beautiful Teal and Shoveler and Eiders offshore. Little Egret, Grey Heron, Great Crested Grebes, Redshank, Great Black-backed Gull, Starling, Whitethroat, Linnet, Pied Wagtail and Meadow Pipit were other avian highlights. I also enjoyed seeing butterflies Comma, Peacock and Small Heath well and Migrant Hawker the dragonfly of the moment for me. It was good to see bee on bramble flower, mossy rose gall, creeping thistle, creeping cinquefoil, musk mallow, possibly spurry, wild carrot, dock, gorse covered in a spider's web I'm seeing these well of late, rose hips and hawthorn.
This round bird is a dunlin (Calidris alpina). It's the first that I've knowingly seen. In fact, I didn't know I'd seen it this time until going through the hundreds of photographs that I took at Gulfport, Mississippi.
"Dazzling in its breeding finery, with vivid rusty back and black belly patch, the Dunlin was once called the Red-backed Sandpiper. It’s now named for its nonbreeding plumage, a mousy gray-brown or “dun” color. Dunlins are an abundant species that nests around the world’s arctic regions. They winter in large flocks along bays, estuaries, and coastlines. They have notably long, curved bills but they don’t probe deeply into mud; instead, they tend to feed on invertebrates just barely below the surface." - allaboutbirds.org