Tag Archives: Lesser Yellowlegs

Birds

A vagrant from the West

Hrísastelkur – Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes

A Lesser Yellowlegs was spotted several days ago in Sandgerði, Reykjanes. This North American shorebird is a rare vagrant in Iceland. It is related to the Redshank, a little lighter in colour, similar in size, but the legs are yellow, not red.

The Lesser Yellowlegs is a North American bird that lives in the boreal forests of North America, from Quebec  to Alaska. They are migrators that fly South in winter, to the Gulf coast of Mexico and to South America. They are regular vagrants in Europe and have been spotted around 20 times in Iceland.

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Birds

Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs

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Two American waders together at Breiðabólsstaðatjörn/Álftanes (SW-Iceland), Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs

This spring three Lesser Yellowlegs have been spotted in Southwest Iceland.  Lesser Yellowlegs are rare vagrants and until now only 19 birds had been seen here, most of them in the autumn.  Lesser Yellowlegs are breeding birds in North America, and fairly common.

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Hrísastelkur – Lesser Yellowlegs – Tringa flavipes

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a more common vagrant in Iceland. It is a breeding bird in North America like the Lesser Yellowlegs.

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Rákatíta – Pectoral Sandpiper – Calidris melanotos

Two Lesser Yellowlegs and the Pectoral Sandpiper were in Álftanes yesterday evening.  The Lesser Yellowlegs is a new bird on my list but the Pectoral Sandpiper was already on the list.

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