Although I enjoyed seeing all the shorebirds in breeding plumage, the â€?”Bird of the Day†had to be the Whimbrels we saw. They were the largest of the shorebirds, nearly 6 inches taller than the Short-billed Dowitcher.
When I saw something flying in the distance, I took this shot hoping to identify what I was seeing. I’ll have to admit I wasn’t entirely sure what I had seen until I got home and put the shot up on the screen. Considering their size, they blended into the background better than I would ever have thought imaginable.
When I saw this one flying by, the long, curved bill made it clear that it was a small flock of Whimbrels I had seen on the rocky shore.
Later on, the birds seemed to accept us as part of the scenery, and I was able to get closer than I ever have before. They were fixated on finding enough food to continue their migration, far too busy to be distracted by people with cameras. Â
This shot of one Tai Chi walking was my favorite of the day.
Surprisingly, we saw even more Whimbrels later in the day when we visited North Beach.
I think I ended up seeing more Whimbrels in one day than I’ve seen in the rest of my life.