Spotted Sandpiper Louisiana Waterthrush

In May we watched a variety of birds arrive and then quickly depart for breeding grounds and nurseries north of us... sometimes, far to the north, as in the boreal forests of Canada and the wetlands of the Arctic. Then, a few months later, we watched as they—and their kids—drifted back, to stay with us for a while before heading south. These are two of the new arrivals: a Spotted Sandpiper (top) and a Louisiana Waterthrush (below the first image). They're either youngsters in their juvenile plumage or veterans who have molted their adult feathers and now look like kids. So they will remain until late next winter when, if luck is on their side, they'll change clothes, exchanging drab for gorgeous breeding finery, and dazzle us when they visit.