May 13
Good Afternoon
I am sharing a few photos from yesterday.
The first three are a bit of a flashback to World Curlew day. If you remember, (I am sure you do), Godwits are part of the Curlew family.
Yesterday I saw both Hudsonian and Marbled Godwit. And also the Whimbrel. In my post on World Curlew Day I mentioned I had not seen Whimbrel in Canada.
That changed yesterday. I saw 4 that are on migration, They migrate from the southern US and Mexico to the high arctic. So you have to get lucky to catch them on migration,
Yesterday I was leaving Murray Marsh , when a local birder asked if I had seen the whimbrels that were about 500-700 meters away , back-lit against the sun. I used my scope and could see the shapes of the whimbrel.
I decided to hike out on a muddy dike to see if I could get some side-lit shots. I did and I was also closer. The image I am sharing is a 100% crop using a 1100mm lens, a.k.a. they are still a long ways away.
But it was great to see them in Canada.
The last image is a common bird in southern Alberta but rare near Edmonton, the Cinnamon Teal. A very pretty bird.
Stay well !
