I haven’t heard the Long-billed Curlews (Numenius americanus) calling for several weeks here in northern Utah and I already miss hearing them. I photographed this calling male the second week of May out on a grassy flat on Antelope Island State Park.
Long-billed Curlews are generally silent away from the breeding grounds, I never heard one make a sound when I would see them in Florida during the non breeding season.
Long-billed Curlews are also known as “sicklebirds” and “candlestick birds”. Candlestick Point in San Fransisco was named after them.
Last year at about this time I was still seeing Long-billed Curlews and their young on Antelope Island State Park but it had been a long, cold and wet spring so breeding may have been delayed. This year they either nested on time or perhaps a bit earlier which may be why I am not seeing their young right now.
Still, seeing them anytime of the year is a joy for me.
Mia
More Long-billed Curlew images
Mia McPherson
Mia McPherson is a nature lover, wildlife watcher and an avian photographer. Mia first become serious about bird photography when she moved to Florida in 2004. Her recent move to the Salt Lake area of Utah was a great opportunity to continue observing their behavior and photographing them. With so many birds species there easily accessible it wasn’t long before she was hooked. By learning more about each species, she can anticipate their behaviour and create opportunities to obtain ever better images of those species.
- Web |
- More Posts(85)
Leave a Reply