A pair of willets feed in the last light in a Bay Area harbor. The rays of the setting sun made these birds glow.
Long-Billed Curlew in Evening Light
An adult female curlew feeds in an open piece of land in northern Utah's open grasslands late in the evening, keeping a close eye on its nest nearby. Curlews demonstrate sexual dimorphism in that the female long-billed curlews have significantly longer beaks than males.
Black oystercatcher with oyster
A black oystercatcher with an oyster it found on the shore during a rainstorm. Oystercatchers have special beaks that allow it to pry open shellfish such as oysters.
An American Avocet feeds in evening light near the Great Salt Lake. These elegant shorebirds feed in loose groups in marshes, fresh and salt water lakes, often squabbling among themselves and with other shorebirds. I liked this image for the light and water droplets from the beak.
A flock of avocets feed at evening in the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The birds are starting to lose their breeding plumage.
A black oystercatcher forages on a exposed rocky shore. Seaweed deposited by the receding high-tide provides a n interesting color palette.
A lng-billed curlew feeds late one morning in its wintering grounds in the Bay Area.
An avocet searching for food at evening on the Great Salt Lake.
A pair of avocets forage on the Great Salt Lake in Utah as fall approaches. In spring and summer, avocets are in their breeding plumage and their neck and breast feathers turn rusty brown. Here, the avocets have taken on their wintering plumage and their feathers have turned white.
AN American avocet preens itself at sundown before going to roost. Preening is an important part of most birds' regimen to remove mites, insects and other parasites that might cause infection. Birds typically preen as soon as they get up, before they go to sleep, and often during the day. The soft light and reflection complement the winter plumage of the avocet.
