4/22/2021 3 Comments 1000 miles from any shore....Some birders love hummingbirds, others warblers, some prefer gull- or hawk-watching, but my favorite type of bird to find and study is the "shorebird". They come in a dizzying diversity of sizes and shapes, which makes them fun to identify. They never show up at backyard bird feeders, which means that to see them you have to go afield and spend time in lonely, wide-skied, muddy places, which is good for a person, despite what neatnik parents may tell their sheltered children. And, it turns out, vast numbers of these lovely creatures (shorebirds, that is, not oppressive parents or their indoor children) migrate up and down the Central Flyway where I am blessed to live.
Since I last posted 10 days ago, I've seen 11 new species for the year here in Adams County, Nebraska, and 7 of those new birds have been shorbs. Check out the variety below. And even more will be arriving here in the next few weeks: Dunlin, Sanderling, White-rumped, Solitary, Upland, Least, Western, maybe even Black-necked Stilt, Snowy Plover, Whimbrel, or Ruddy Turnstone. So much to see!
3 Comments
Naomi Fertig
4/23/2021 10:02:25 am
Wonderful pictures you capture. Love seeing the birds.
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angela and darrell
4/24/2021 10:37:13 am
Thanks Paul!! our ears have been tuned in lately to the sounds at the OB. Knowing our feathers residence by sight is one this but sound is so intriguing. Love Birds!
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Thanks, Naomi. I'm so glad I discovered "digiscoping," taking photos with a simple point-and-shoot and now my iPhone, handheld up to my 20-60x spotting scope which serves as my long lens. It's not by any means as fine a quality as a dslr camera with long lens can shoot, but it does bring me in close.
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