Dead Birds Tell Tales

I took an early trip out to Jamaica Bay this morning with Tom Stephenson, hoping to see yesterday's White-Faced Ibis and whatever else might show up. We didn't have much luck with any rarities (in part because the water levels were very high), but we did find a dead Semipalmated Sandpiper on the sidewalk. Semipalms are quite populous at Jamaica right now, and this one must have flown low and hit a car. This little death gave me a nice opportunity to look at the bird up close, and especially to see the webbing between it's toes for which it is named. You can actually see this webbing at times on live birds, but this way is a lot easier.