Black Skimmers by the hundreds flew down the beach and landed on a sand bar exposed by the low tide.
There were so many birds it was hard to chose where to photograph.
As the tide covered their original landing place they lifted off in groups and circled around to another appealing spot.
We had the good fortune to watch this for over an hour until we were driven out by the incoming tide.
A huge flock of Black Skimmers came in to the edge of the beach at low tide. These few had separated from the group and appeared to want to rest but just couldn’t leave each other alone.
“Akkk, I’ve been goosed!”
Indignant, he moved off without looking back.
You can see the Skimmers’ unique bill clearly in this photo: the lower mandible is longer than the upper. They feed by skimming over the water dragging the lower bill in the water picking up fish.
Click on any photo for larger view.
Sanderlings, Sandpipers, Peeps…a confusing lot of similarly sized and colored shore birds according to Cornell’s All About Birds. They are fun to watch as they zip along the water’s edge poking the sand for food.
This peep was on his own. He had a buddy when I first spotted him but he flew up the beach.
They are easy to overlook because of their small size and their brown feathers blend them into the sand
The reflection of the sun in the wet sand made a nice color backdrop when he went closer to the water.
A flock of American Avocets flew above us at the edge of a marsh. Their long upturned bill provides an easy identification.
They seemed undecided about choosing a landing spot or just moving on.
They started to drop down into an open area in the marsh…
…then changed their minds.
One more turn around and then they headed out of sight.
Click on any photo for larger view.
I don’t know what these two Yellowlegs were sparring about, but they were pretty serious. They repeated this dance in several spots at the edge of the pond. It might be a mating dance but in October in South Carolina that seems out of sync.
The contrast between the birds and the grassy background isn’t what I had hoped for but the action and their flight skills were fascinating. Click on any photo for a larger view.
I don’t usually include this many images in a post but wanted to show the whole sequence. If you have Javascript you can jump to the bottom of this post and view the images as a slideshow.
If you have Javascript click on one of the photos below to view the photos as a slide show. If you don’t have Javascript you’ll see the photos repeated.
The colors and upturned bill makes the American Avocet an easy ID.
Getting a good photograph across the mud flats of this impoundment at Bear Island Wildlife Management area was another story.
This single one ventured closer to the edge, co-mingling with Plovers, Sanderlings, Willets and the other shore birds working the shallow water.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area, SC, 4/26/2017.
It’s easy to see how this bird got its name. The Black-necked Stilt is a shore bird that has thin and delicate legs, giving the it an awkward looking walk.
This was my first sighting of a Stilt and I was quite impressed with his colors and precise movements.
He went back and forth along the edge of the tidal water, poking and prodding as he went.
Even more striking when flying, I saw several groups of two and three zipping by without getting an in flight shot. This take off shot and shadow will have do for today.
This turned out to be just a short hop to a new lunch spot.
Himantopus mexicanus
