I had heard on vanbcbirds that a Willet, a member of the sandpiper family has taken up residence on the beach at White Rock opposite the large white painted rock from which the city takes its name. Silhouetted against the late morning sun, the bird wasn't too hard to find.
I first encountered a Willet on the shores of Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan (see picture below)
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| Willet (Catoptrohorus semipalmatus) Regina Beach, Saskatchewan. |
The second Willet I photographed was being chased by an American Avocet at Chaplin Lake, the Willet had the audacity to get between it and its mate.
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| An American Avocet chases away a Willet |
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| A pair of Willet close to their nest. |
At White Rock I made my way down as the tide was about an hour from full flood. The bird was still feeding for about 10 minutes before it hunkered down for safety with a flock of Mew Gulls.
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| The White Rock Willet hangs close to a flock off similar sized Mew Gulls as a form of security. |
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| The intricate plumage of the Willet is accentuated by photographing the bird with a long lens and side light. |
Click here for More about the Willet
Good Birding
John Gordon
John, excellent shots! I particularly like the shore birds. I'm not very good at identifying them though!
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