Richard Kuehn recently photographed several species of shorebirds, including Whimbrels. This particular Whimbrel reminded Rich of "King of the Mountain."
Whimbrels are large sandpipers and they eat insects. You can see the bill is curved downward. They nest far to our north in the Tundra.
To hear their twittering call, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whimbrel/sounds
Thanks to Rich for allowing me to share his photo with you here.
Whimbrels fly great distances and often need to rest and feed on quiet beaches. Carolyn Case photographed two of these shorebirds recently.
They use their long, curved bill to dig in the sand, searching for invertebrates. They also eat insects and berries.
To hear their call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/whimbrel/sounds
Thanks to Carolyn for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Bettye Winters was walking with her dog, Hunter, when she came across this large group of Whimbrels feeding and resting on the beach at Manchester State Park.
Whimbrels have incredibly long migrations. Some actually migrate 2,500 miles, from southern Canada to South America.
To hear their call, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whimbrel/sounds
Thanks to Bettye for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
Annie Mills was enjoying Cook's Beach, which is just north of the town of Gualala. She found two Whimbrels enjoying the beach too.
Migrating Whimbrels breed far to our north and they travel several thousand miles, twice each year. They can occasionally be seen feeding and resting on local beaches. Whimbrels use their long beaks to probe in the sand for tasty treats - crabs being one of their favorite food source.
To hear the call of a Whimbrel, here's a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Whimbrel/sounds
To see more about Cook's Beach and learn how to find it, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/02/12/cooks-beach-a-beautiful-pocket-beach-just-north-of-gualala/
Thanks to Annie for allowing me to share her photo with you here.
