I was standing on the Hinsdale railtrail scanning the river, kinda hoping for redhead or some other treat when I caught this guy in my scope.  It was 620 yards away (I will explain how I know further down), and I thought, hmmmm.  Shorebird for sure, calidris likely, dunlin perhaps.  But at 5 football fields away, on the CT River, in October, when the only shorebirds should be killdeer, snipe, and perhaps a pectoral sandpiper or golden plover, I needed more.  How to cross the t and dot the i on this one.

dunlin at 620 yards, Connecticut River, Hinsdale

Answer – get the canoe off the roof (don’t leave home without it).  I have often found that birds out of habitat (read inland shorebirds) can be approached more closely than would normally be the case.  I have also found that several families of birds can be closely approached by canoe, especially gulls and terns.  Off I paddled in the direction of Vernon Nuclear Power Plant with my optics and telephoto lens – I havent been stopped yet!  Add inland dunlin to the list of birds that can be approached by canoe – although it didnt have much in the way of options other than flying or swimming.  The log it is standing on has been there for years and is viewable on google earth, thus I was able to measure the distance – more than five football fields!

dunlin, Connecticut River, Hinsdale

dunlin, Connecticut River, Hinsdale

Also seen today, another lone goose, this time a snow goose at Hinsdale Setbacks, with 24 pied-billed grebes.  Spofford held a great cormorant and 8 surf scoters.