The Fog is Dispelled

Thursday just as I was about to accept the fact that it wasn’t going to ever clear up and I ought to leave, it started to clear up and I was able to get shots of the numerous Black-Bellied Plovers,

Non-Breeding Black-Bellied Plover

without their name-sake black bellies because they are in non-breeding colors this time of year. Perhaps that’s why they came so close this time, much closer than I’ve ever managed to get when they were in breeding colors.

I also managed to get several shots of what appeared to be Sanderlings,

Sanderling

a bird I’ve never managed to get a shot of before, though I don’t think this is the first time I’ve ever seen them.

There were also a lot of these small birds, what I think are Western Sandpipers,

Western Sandpiper

though I still find it difficult to differentiate between the many varieties of the sandpiper family particularly when they’re not in breeding colors.

I was pleasantly surprised when a small flock of Marbled Godwits joined the much larger flock of Black-Bellied Plovers.

Plovers and Marbled Godwits

I’m used to seeing them at Tokeland, but I’ve never seen them at Bottle Beach before.

I suppose I could have been disappointed by standing around in the fog for three hours, but the last half hour of sunshine seemed to completely dispel my earlier frustration.

There were no new sightings and the birds weren’t as colorful as they are during breeding season, but it was a delightful way to spend three and a half hours, alone in the mist as nature closed in around me.

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