These sanderlings came running towards me after receding waves, when they quickly probe the sand for the small crustaceans that are their diet, and then race ahead of the next wave. {11"x14"}
And just as quickly they ran past and on down the beach! {11"x14"}
7:32 am. Pelicans, my favorite bird, soar over me against a colorful sky. {8"x10"}
The sanderlings are out again this morning. They winter here through April. {8"x10"}
Amazingly fast runners, the sanderling migrates in April to Arctic breeding grounds. {8"x10"}
It was fun to watch this pelican diving for fish. {8"x10"}
The next day, pelicans are so graceful as they soar over the waves. {8"x10"}
Big wave, little Willet. Willets breed on the northern Great Plains and the interior of the northwest and migrate to coastal regions for the winter. {8"x10"}
Willets form mated pairs that can last a lifetime. Mated pairs are not found together throughout the year, but they find each other again at the start of the breeding season. {8"x10"}
Ring-billed gull. This is the bird that frequents parking lots, garbage dumps, beaches, and fields. These are the gulls you're most likely to see far away from coastal areas. {8"x10"}
Willet in early morning golden light. {8"x10"}
Love these birds, so clumsy and graceful at the same time, here a pelican soars above the Cut. {8"x10"}
Herring Gulls winter along coasts and near large water bodies. In summer, they are along the Atlantic Coast, Great Lakes, & coastal Alaska; they also breed across the boreal far north. {8"x10"}
I was lucky to see a juvenile bald eagle overhead! {8"x10"}
Great blue heron in late afternoon sun, there are two regulars, used to being fed fish by fishermen at the Cut. {8"x10"}
The other great blue heron at the Cut, it was a cold, windy late afternoon. {8"x10"}
Handsome creature, it is the largest heron in North America. {8"x10"}
Francie Stoutamire Photography
