Well, we have one more batch of photos after this, and then the feature goes belly-up. If you don’t want that to happen, please send in your good wildlife photos.
Today being Sunday, we have a visit by John Avise, who sent photos of some birds near his home. John’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can click the photos to enlarge them.
A Morning at the Beach
A few days ago, I went to Crystal Cove State Park, which is only a 15-minute drive from my house here in Southern California. I timed my visit so as to capture the long morning light at low tide. Here are some of the birds that I photographed on that short but special visit. All of these species are regulars along our beaches, especially during the autumn and winter months.
Willet (Tringa semipalmata) posing:
Willet standing on one leg
Willet showing the white stripe along its wing (normally visible only during flight):
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) posing:
Whimbrel with small crab:
Another Whimbrel pose. showing its head stripes:
Sanderling (Calidris alba) posing:
Sanderling stretching:
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) posing:
Black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) (yes, they inhabit beachfronts as well as many other habitats in S. Cal.):
Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala) posing:
Black Turnstone in flight:
Ahhh… simple beauty….
The setting really supports the subjects here too – I am reminded of trips to the ocean beach and love it…
Standing on one leg seems to be a “thing.” The picture of the Willet really captures it.
Nice shots! Does standing on one leg have an evolutionary advantage? It’s less stable, and must slow escape from raptors. Is it just resting muscles?
Very nice. Thanks.
Great photos! Thanks!
Beauties.
Sweet photos! Love the sanderling yoga and the elegantly dining whimbrel 😀
Hmmm, hard to tell, but is the beak of the Turnstone curved to suit its purpose?
In New Zealand a similar bird, the Wrybill, has a beak which curves to one side.
Wrybills breed along the stony braided rivers of the Eastern South Island where they nest on stone mounds surrounded by flowing water. The birds fossick for food (insect larvae) under stones with the curve of the beak enabling a more efficient sweep of the surface. Sadly, the changing weather patterns and ferals (cats, stoats, rats) are a serious risk to their survival.
Yes, the Turnstone have a slightly upturned bill that is well-suited for flipping pebbles or seaweed when searching for food.
Ah, the sweet Black phoebe. The Sanderling stretching is so cute. I can smell the saltwater looking at these. Wish I were there.