Photo Study Of Some American Avocets At Bombay Hook NWR In Smyrna, DE, September 9th, 2010

   Maurice Barnhill's posting about the "radar" for migrants yesterday motivated a couple of us to go to Delaware and check out Bombay Hook.  While we didn't find migrants,
   there were shorebirds and waders by the thousands in Raymond's, Shearness and Bear Swamp. But the treat for this old picture-taker turned out to be the exceptionally
   cooperative, beautiful and graceful American Avocets. I counted well over 600 of them in Raymond's and Shearness.

American Avocets Flying Into Raymond's

Lots Of American Avocets Hanging Out In Raymond's

American Avocet Struts At Raymond's

American Avocet Grabs A Fish

An American Avocet Lifts Its Wings

American Avocet Swims In Shearness Pool

American Avocet Photographed In Raymond's In July 2010

American Avocet At Raymond's

Two American Avocets Scramble At Raymond's

   The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family. It has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, "blue shanks". Its
   plumage is dark brown or black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer and gray in the winter. The
   Avocet's long, thin bill is upturned at the end. An adult is about 18 inches tall with a wingspan of 28 inches. The breeding habitat is marshes, beaches, prairie ponds, and shallow
   lakes in the Midwest as well as the Pacific  coast of North America. The American Avocet nests on open ground, often in small groups and sometimes with other waders. A pair
   will rear one brood per season, with both male and female providing parental care for the young. This species is migratory and winters mostly on the southern Atlantic and
   Pacific coasts of Mexico and the United States. The American Avocet forages in shallow water or on mud flats. It can often be seen sweeping its bill from side to side in water
   as it seeks its crustacean, fish or insect prey. (Wikipedia; Cornell BNA)

  To see a larger image of any of the bird photos below, please click on either the thumbnails or the captions...thanks!

  Species Seen At Bombay Hook And Port Mahon Today:

Howard B. Eskin 2010     Please email your comments to hbeskin@voicenet.com       Please click here to go back to Bird Webpage Index