It seems almost quaint now, fleeing to the coast two weekends ago to escape a mere 92 degrees. In retrospect, despite the warnings of Siouxsie, a temperature in the lower nineties seems pleasantly warm in comparison to our recent flirtation with triple digits. Let's revisit that happier time and enjoy a last taste of spring in Florida
Shorebirds get a bad rap. They're relatively drab, impossible to tell apart, and require to lug a scope across the landscape so you can look at them sleeping on a mudflat half a mile away. But that's when they're on vacation. For a couple of months a year they are hard at work in the far north in somewhat more vibrant plumage. And if we're looking in May we can get a glimpse of some color as these little guys get ready for their big commute.
NOTE: I am out and about this AM and am publishing this via special super remote control. I'll check in when I get home late this afternoon.
This is a couple of Ruddy Turnstones back in March
Here is a Ruddy Turnstone in mid-May
And another
Here's a Dunlin in November
Here are some Dunlin from two weeks ago
And before and after pictures of Sanderlings. Not quite so dramatic but still clearly different.
All of these birds will spend most of their time on warm shores like those of the Florida panhandle. However for a crucial couple of months each year they will be up in the arctic, mating, laying eggs, and rearing offspring. That's a lot of work and the flights take a lot of energy. Some of the birds lingering down south into mid-May could be sort of stored fat and are trying to get a bit more to eat. Others just may be procrastinators - studies have shown that certain individuals tend to consistently delay migration.
The energy required to migrate is crucial. These birds (sorry for the poor photo) are Red Knots. Like the others they spend the winter in drab gray and turn red in the spring. They winter in South America and breed in the Arctic making them among the longest distance migrants. To a greater extent than other shorebirds their migration is tied to the availability of horseshoe crab eggs as food. The crabs have declined in recent years and the Knot population is only 10% of what it was in the recent past, one of the most dramatic of any North American bird. Efforts are underway to reduce human impact on the horseshoe crab population.
A few shorebirds breed here in Florida. The Willet does look different in summer than in winter or so the field guide says. The difference is pretty subtle and I can't say I've noticed it.
A bird I've only seen in breeding season here is the snowy plover. They breed in the open on the baking dunes. They have to incubate their eggs to keep them cool.
Look closely at this picture. I can't quite figure out what this bird is doing - it looks like it is kneeling.
And here is a closeup. Although I don't think so, it is possible that this is a nest with an egg (the markings on the object look a bit too regular to me).