Although I enjoyed seeing all the shorebirds in breeding plumage, the “Bird of the Day” had to be the Whimbrels we saw. They were the largest of the shorebirds, nearly 6 inches taller than the Short-billed Dowitcher.
When I saw something flying in the distance, I took this shot hoping to identify what I was seeing. I’ll have to admit I wasn’t entirely sure what I had seen until I got home and put the shot up on the screen. Considering their size, they blended into the background better than I would ever have thought imaginable.
When I saw this one flying by, the long, curved bill made it clear that it was a small flock of Whimbrels I had seen on the rocky shore.
Later on, the birds seemed to accept us as part of the scenery, and I was able to get closer than I ever have before. They were fixated on finding enough food to continue their migration, far too busy to be distracted by people with cameras.
This shot of one Tai Chi walking was my favorite of the day.
Surprisingly, we saw even more Whimbrels later in the day when we visited North Beach.
I think I ended up seeing more Whimbrels in one day than I’ve seen in the rest of my life.