What I saw on MY Spring Break (Part 6)

Then there were wading birds (besides the egrets). A lot of the shore birds were still to the south awaiting the spawning of the horseshoe crabs, but there were a few that were either year-round residents or just early arrivals.

One morning at Forsythe I found a group of Glossy Ibises feeding in the ditch along side the road.

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

The mud flats played host to numerous Greater Yellowlegs with their spotted breasts and long yellow legs and bill.

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

The rocks and edges of the flats held several pairs of Oystercatchers.

Oystercatcher

Oystercatcher

As the week went on there were several early arrivals in the form of Dunlin. Whirling flocks of these small birds could be seen on the flats. Their shorter legs and slightly down-curved bills helped to identify them.

Dunlin

One morning at Sunset Beach I saw this small bird hoist itself onto the rock jetty just above the breaking waves. It looked and acted exhausted. Not being in its breeding plumage yet, it puzzled me but based upon its size and short bill, I figured it was a Ruddy Turnstone. It was early to the feast but it will be joined by thousands of its relatives as well as Semi-palmated Plovers in a few weeks...if it lives that long.

Ruddy Turnstone

I did see a half a dozen Willets at Reed's Beach, but it was the one time I left the camera in the Tundra. DOH!