A return trip to bird the Taylor Bait ponds in Orono produced very satisfying results, especially so because I had the benefit of someone’s more advanced shorebird identification skills – and a spotting scope. This enabled us to confirm what we were seeing: a spotted sandpiper and several semipalmated sandpipers, as well as the similarly named semipalmated plovers.

I’ve always wondered what the difference is between a plover and a sandpiper.

David Allen Sibley, in his book “The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior,” describes plovers as “small to medium-size shorebirds with upright posture, large eyes, rounded heads, thick necks, short, rather thick bills, and medium-length legs.”

Sandpipers, he writes, are among “a group of small to large shorebirds with long toes; long, tapered wings; and necks and legs that vary considerably in length.”

Basically, it boils down to differences in body type and feeding behavior. Plovers locate prey with their large eyes and pluck it from the surface of earth or water with their short, stubby bills. Sandpipers use their longer, slender, and sensitive bills to probe into sand or mud for their prey, which they are able to locate by touch, smell, and differences in pressure.

Although these birds occupy different niches during the breeding season, on migration they can be found on tidal flats such as those found in the Bay of Fundy. The extensive flats left exposed by the large tides provide prime feeding for birds fattening up for migration. Mud flats, such as those on the edges of the old Taylor Bait ponds, serve the same purpose.

Shorebirds are among the longest-distance migrants in the bird world. The semipalmated sandpiper, for example, migrates from its breeding grounds in the Alaskan and Canadian tundra to South America, flying nonstop for up to 80 hours and covering more than 2,000 miles.

This 61/4-inch bird, weighing little more than one ounce, accomplishes this feat by building up enormous fat reserves in a very short amount of time. Eating almost constantly, it can gain up to 10 percent or more of its body weight each day. It can then utilize this fat, converting it quickly into fuel during its long journey.

In answer to a couple from Aroostook County who had e-mailed me a few weeks ago: Feel free to keep feeders up for hummingbirds, as this may be an important food source for those passing through. Many people are reporting “late” hummers, so this may be a good idea. If you see no hummers at all for one to two weeks, feeders can be taken down for the season.

Thank you so much to all of you who’ve written in. I try to keep up with my mail but am not always successful – my apologies for lengthy response times or lack thereof.

NEWS bird columnist Chris Corio can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net