Yesterday a purple sandpiper was reported in Indiana. Very interesting, but I had commitments and could not go look for it. I decided to let it go. It probably wouldn’t stick around anyway. I pushed it out of my mind.
Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) | Patoka Lake | Orange County, Indiana
500mm | 1/640th second | f/8.0 | ISO 1100
Then this morning someone else reported it. It was still there. Now I had a dilemma. I had planned a day of work and productivity. The weather was fairly miserable - cold and raining. Easy decision. Stick to your plan, Greg. But then my friend, Ron, texted and said he was open to going to see it again, even though he had gone yesterday. What to do? How to decide? I asked him, on a scale of zero to eleven, with zero being a European starling and eleven being an ivory-billed woodpecker (presumed extinct), how unusual is this bird? Eight or nine, replies Ron. Ugh. I’ve got so much to do, but eight or nine? How can I pass that up?
Ultimately, I asked myself which decision I would regret, and the answer was pretty easy. I might create some temporary challenges and a time crunch for myself by taking the afternoon to chase a purple sandpiper, but nothing that would result in longterm regret. On the other hand, I would forever regret missing the opportunity to see such an uncommon species every time I hear its name. Better put on my rain gear.
It was a good call. This was a truly unusual opportunity. There are only a handful of records of purple sandpipers in Indiana, and this appears to be the first one ever away from the shores of Lake Michigan. The species has never been confirmed in Kentucky, just an hour away from this bird’s location. The closest we have in Kentucky was all the way back in 1949 when a purple sandpiper was observed at Falls of the Ohio near Louisville, but it remained in Indiana. Although observers claimed it flew over the river, and thus potentially into Kentucky, that could not be confirmed conclusively. Even so, that would make one bird over 70 years ago.
Today’s bird was right where the other birders found it, and to make this encounter even more extraordinary, it seemed totally unperturbed by humans. So often I am limited to a heavily cropped long distance shot. Not this time! Wildlife photos almost always look best if you can get eye level with your subject, and in the case of a purple sandpiper that means about four inches off the ground. Fingers already numb, I did not hesitate to get flat on my belly on the wet rocks and mud. The little sandpiper took no notice, and actually kept coming closer until I finally had to get up and back away to avoid getting too close. I got the impression that it would have walked right up to me.
I will catch up with the work, but I might never again catch up to a purple sandpiper in Indiana!