Pic of the Day

Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedoa:  Dunedin Causeway; Honey Moon Island, Florida

     I watched two Marbled Godwits for almost an hour as they were feeding in the incoming tide along the Dunedin Causeway.  After feeding, the birds moved to the shoreline and began to preen.  I captured this image as one of the godwits twisted its head and turned its bill upward.  Though a strange pose, notice the flexibility of the upper mandible.  Shorebirds bills are very nimble, a necessary trait for probing the sand for crustaceans.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/4000 second @ f/8