Florida Birds- Little Birds of Nearly No Interest

Mixed in with the sight of a brilliant pink Roseate Spoonbill, there are some subtle beauties that can capture one's attention. Here are some of these from my recent trip to Florida.

Let's begin with the Willet.  It's a somewhat stock wading bird seen widely - marshes, surf edges and rocky shorelines.

It's not too eye-catching when wading.  But, when they take wing the black and white stripes on the wings catch your attention.

The Willet mix in with the reddish hued Marbled Godwits, sweeping in rapidly to a favored sandy beach.
 

While we're on the beach, here is another strikingly beautiful bird, the American Oystercatcher. (I'm including this photo also, as an example of keeping the background indistinct so the subject stands out clearly.)

 This is a first-time bird for me, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck.

Here's another first-time bird, the Long-billed Curlew.  The birds were somewhat distant, but I had to show the amazing long beak!  Surely, it finds food beyond the reach of other birds.

It's fine to be excited by the Roseate Spoonbill, but looking more closely, there are some interesting birds not to be overlooked. After all, it just might be that the spoonbills have picked a different beach than you expected.

Paul Schmitt