An Avocet pair stood out in this creek that was crowded with recently arrived shore birds. Their larger size and striking colors set them apart from the others.
A Marbled Godwit joined the Avocets making an even prettier trio hanging out in the shallow water.
I think that even I could distinguish the Avocets from the other shorebirds, which tend to look the same to me. The bills on these birds look so strange with their turned-up tips. I am amazed too at long long the bills are on some of the shorebirds–I guess it helps them to probe in the sandy bottom.
LOL, yes you could, Mike! Those bills were definitely developed for function; it is interesting how many variations of size and shape there are in the shore birds. These pages in my bird book are well visited along with Cornell’s All About Birds “similar birds” pages.
These birds are standouts! Very nice!
Thanks, Belinda. Hoping to see them one more time tomorrow before the wildlife management area is closed for winter migration.