I Think They Are Cool Looking

[PorkChop]

Not sure of their proper name. I will have to look in a shorebird book but I always enjoy it when I see these birds. These two were by one of my oil wells this morning.

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[Rick]

American Avocets. Googled to be certain, as my shorebird ID is far from first rate.

[PorkChop]

American Avocets. Googled to be certain, as my shorebird ID is far from first rate.

Thanks Rick! I will have to research them now. They are nice size birds! Not very weary. I believe I was about 20 yards before they started getting nervous.

[Rick]

For whatever reason, they are rarer here on my part of the wintering grounds than most of the bazillion and twelve other shorebirds we host, and are, indeed, "cool looking ," so I looked them up years back. Lot easier to ID than most of the little brown ones.

[plainsman]

known around here as snipes

[5 stand]

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Around here, we call this a common snipe...

[5 stand]

Don't know that I've ever seen American Avocet.. They are cool looking little birds, you've piqued my interest, I'll be on the lookout now...

[Rick]

known around here as snipes

Not long after moving here, I made a bird hunting friend named Digby who thought all, or at least most, of the little brown shorebirds "snipe," (and pronounced them all delicious). So they all became "Digby snipe" in our circle of friends, though even Digby avoided the stiff fine associated with all but it after learning which one is legal game.

Also brought to mind a party from near Barnegat Bay, New Jersey that had simplified avian taxonomy down to ducks, geese, 'GUellevens and LGBs, which were little gray birds, unless they happened to be large gray birds.

[SpinnerMan]

I will have to look in a shorebird book but I always enjoy it when I see these birds.

Definitely cool looking. I've never seen them, but I've noticed them in the guides many times when trying to ID other shorebirds.

Lot easier to ID than most of the little brown ones.

There are so many varieties. I try to ID them, but it's hard to figure out whether it is a sanderling, dowitcher, although the long-billed dowitchers are easy, willet (when they fly they are easy to ID), plover, turnstones, sandpipers. Let alone which of the actual species it is

My wife and I had dinner on a deck over a little inlet during low tide and got to watch a ruddy turnstone walking around turning stones. They really do walk around flipping rocks looking for dinner.

[Ricky Spanish]

Mainly where I hunt there aint a shoreline.
Just trees n water.

[SpinnerMan]

Mainly where I hunt there aint a shoreline.
Just trees n water.

Same for me when hunting over water.

However, like the shorebirds, I head south for the winter. This shoreline is about 80 yards from the place we rent. Lots of shorelines and lots of shore birds. Just no avocets.

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I got the herons and egrets down pretty good. Even the Little Blue Heron's including the juveniles that are white before they mature. I can ID most of the terns. The gulls are very tough other than a couple of them.

These guys are pretty easy to ID.

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[Rick]

These guys are pretty easy to ID.

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Yup, Cajun flamingos.