We arrived at Bear Island Wildlife Management area just before the sun came up this morning. A few American Avocets were sitting in the shallow water and reflected the sun’s first glow.
As we progressed around the impoundments throughout the morning there were several other areas with feeding Avocets. There were a few groups but they mostly fed on their own.
This pair in flight shows off the Avocet’s gorgeous colors and their upturned beak.
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I spotted this group of Sanderlings driving along Indian River Lagoon in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The immediately took off, but returned with a flourish in just a few minutes.
I’ve usually seen them running along the surf, but this one loan Sanderling took a dip in water up to his belly.
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I got another opportunity to photograph Black Skimmers last week when a small group along with some Terns visited the same sand bar where I saw them two weeks ago. This Royal Tern had a few things to say.
When I first spotted them there were some Pelicans in the mix but they didn’t hang around. The tide was nearly out and this group of smaller birds seemed content to let the water lap around their legs. I didn’t see any of them feeding.
After the tide turned they shifted as a group a few times, going into the air, doing a few loops and settling just a couple dozen feet from where they started. It was only when a couple of bicyclists and a family with a baby carriage came along that they left.
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Although I have seen a Willet in flight it is more common to see them walking the shore, poking the surf and sand for food.
I didn’t see where he captured this fish but he took it to a wide open expanse of beach to consume it, alone. It’s size slowed him down. Just swallowing it wasn’t an option.
The pools left by the falling tide attract the Willets. Calmer than the ocean surf they often are a concentrated food source as the water drains away.
They will completely immerse their heads looking for food, tipping like a bobbing garden ornament.
The glassy wet sand and the sun direction combined for the perfect trio of this zippy little shorebird.
All of the shorebird peeps are fun to watch and photograph. They are are always moving and interacting with their environment as they look for food.
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.
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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.
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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.
