Long-Billed Curlew on March Point

I was on my way to Mount Vernon early on the afternoon of October 21, 2015, hoping to encounter an unusual bird or two. I wasn’t disappointed. As I drove along the shoreline I was startled to see a Long-billed curlew standing right on the shore, only 20-25 feet from my vehicle. I stopped and took about a dozen photos (all virtually the same) while the bird eyed me. I eventually grew tired of the same angle and drove up the road, then circled back to see if the bird might have moved and given me a different angle. It hadn’t. It didn’t seem to mind my presence, and I finally left after another set of photos.

I have never seen a Long-billed curlew anywhere near this area, although I seem to remember several years ago that there were reports of three moving around in the fields of the Skagit Flats. I made several trips searching for them but never found them. I remember many years ago seeing over a dozen in someone’s manicured yard in one of the south Texas towns, but I felt very fortunate to be able to obtain these photos here.

In composing this blog post I started having misgivings when I checked a reference guide and saw that the Whimbrel was a very similar bird. So I sent an email to a couple of more knowledgeable friends who provide expert advice. One of them confirmed that the bird is a Long-billed curlew.

I returned on Thursday, October 22 and again found the curlew about 100 yards (as the proverbial crow flies) from where it had been the previous day. This brought on another round of photos.

Preening…