Pic of the Day

Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus:

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve; Huntington Beach, California

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/2000 sec. @ f8, ISO 800

Pic of the Day

Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus; Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

     Another Long-billed Curlew shot on the Bolivar Peninsula.  This is a second year, or older bird.  Notice the length of bill compared to the bird in my previous post on October, 27th.  Younger Long-billed Curlew have shorter bills than the older, mature birds.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/2000 @ f6.3

Pic of the Day

Long-billed Curlew, Numenius minutis; Bolivar Peninsula, Texas 

    The October salt marsh provided the perfect backdrop for this Long-billed Curlew on the Bolivar Peninsula in Texas.  Long-billed Curlews are just one of the many species that winter on the Texas coast.   This image demonstrates how well the cryptic plumage pattern of the curlew allows it to blend into its background.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, exposure 1/1250 @ f7.1

Pic of the Day

Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus:

Bear River Bird Migratory Bird Sanctuary; Brigham, Utah 

Nikon D800, Nikkor 300mm f2.8, 1/2000 sec. @ f8, hand-held panning with subject.

Pic of the Day

Willet: Tringa semipalmata

Long-billed Curlew: Numenius americanus (Juvenile)

Marbled Godwit: Limosa fedoa

     Willet: Tringa semipalmata and Long-billed Curlew: Numenius americanus -- Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montana:  Benton Lank National Wildlife Refuge located just outside Great Falls, Montana, and is perhaps the best kept secret among the birding world.  My visit this past spring provided great shooting opportunities.  Willets, Long-billed curlew, and Marbled Godwits nest on the refuges' grasslands and feed on the lakes mud flats.  In one morning I was able to photograph all three species. The willet and godwit are adult birds, but judging from the length of curlews bill it must be a juvenile, as adult long-billed curlews bills are about twice the length of the one shown here.
     Benton Lake had many other species of birds that I photographed as well, some for the first time.  I’ll post some of those images at a later date.  

     Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, – Freezeout Lake, Montana:  Perhaps many people would be surprised to discover that shorebirds are not always found along the seashore.  In fact, most of North Americans shorebird species nest inland on the vast grasslands of the western and central plains and on the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Tundra.

      The long-billed curlew is a large shorebird that nest on the North American grasslands.  They range from British Columbia south to Nevada and eastward to the Great Plains.  While breeding and raising young on the grasslands they primarily eat grasshoppers, beetles and various insects.

      The long-billed curlew winters in Mexico and along the southern and eastern coast from North Carolina to Florida.  Those that winter along the seashore are often seen probing mud flats and sandy shores for crabs and other small invertebrates.  The long bill of the long-billed curlew allows them to probe deeper in the sediment and reach food not available to shorebirds with shorter bills, thus various species of shorebirds can feed on the same flats with out competing with one another. 

     Throughout my travels in the grasslands of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming I encountered long-billed curlew, but non were photographically cooperative.  As soon as I stopped, the birds would take flight.  But, my luck turned when I arrived in Montana.

     I found this, and other curlews in a field as I was driving the roads on Freezeout Lake Wildlife Management Area.  When I stopped the van the birds took flight, but instead of flying away, they flew toward me.  It appeared that a nest was in the area, but I could not see young birds scurrying through the grass.  A scene I had observed on numerous occasions when I stopped to photograph other curlews. 

     With the birds flying overhead and scolding me, I knew I only had a few minutes to work.  If these birds were late nesters, I did not want to keep them from their nest very long.  I quickly grabbed my camera with a 300mm lens and took hand held shots of the birds as they flew overhead.  Within a few minutes I had the images I sought and was on my way.

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 300mm 2.8, 1/500 sec. @ f7.1, Handheld using image stabilization