A few days ago I included this fellow pictured to the left in a post with the comment that it was rare for a curlew to sit so still for a photo. Well, maybe it was because he is not a curlew! I had a few doubts at the time but it wasn't until I had a definite sighting of a pair of long-billed curlews yesterday that I realized I should have looked more closely. I was fooled by the downward curving beak when I should have been looking at the size of the bird and its habitat instead.
I believe the mis-labeled bird is a whimbrel - uncommon but widespread and much more of a shore bird than the prairie loving curlews.
I am thrilled with theses shots I got yesterday at Bald Ridge between falling rain drops. Not only did I capture a few nice photos of the birds in flight, the first one even had his mouth open! Of course he was screaming at me at the time and it is probably just as well I don't understand curlew!
Here is the pair of birds blending into the sagebrush on the ground.
They are quite a bit bigger than the whimbrel and their beaks are longer, too.
I also thought I would include a few shots of another of my favorite area visitors: the green-tailed towhee. They are not as flashy as the other members of their family - at least until you look closely. Then you notice the great "hairdo"and the attitude that seems to say "bring it on!"
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