Tag: long billed curlew

Hanging with a crabby curlew

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography11 Comments

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I was standing on the beach taking pictures of a ruddy turnstone when the long-billed curlew flew right in front of me.

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I never get this lucky. He was looking at me like “I’m ready for my photo shoot.”

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He already had sand all the way up his beak so he’s been feeding.

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I sat down on the sand and watched him dig.

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Success.  A little sandy crab came out of the hole.

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After swallowing that one, he continued to dig.

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This one he flipped up in the air like popcorn shrimp.

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Still digging. What a pig!

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He seemed to want to show me this one up close. He started walking toward me with it in his beak.

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He flipped it up to swallow it. After this crab, he started wandering off down the beach so I left him to his feeding.

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This ruddy turnstone wanted to get in on the crab action as well. He walked right in front of me showing off his prize.

Another Saturday morning on Fort Desoto beach.

Eating crabs

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

“Here comes some more photographers. I guess I should put on a show for them. I am a little hungry anyway.”

“Wait, don’t take the shot. I’m choking here.”

“Got another one. This is way too easy.”

“I feel like an owl twisting my head this way.”

“Yummy, I wish I had some butter for these crab legs.”

“Down the hatch”

“Hey, what about me? I got a crab too.” says the tiny Wilson’s plover.

The long billed curlews at the North Beach sanctuary at Fort Desoto have a reputation for being very accommodating if they’re out in front of the ropes. A large part of this section of the beach is roped off to allow the shorebirds to rest and nest. Sometimes they wander out of the roped off area to feed in the lagoon area and you can see them a little closer. We all sat down on the sand and spent a half hour watching this curlew dig for crabs right in front of us. He wandered pretty close to where we sitting for a while.  He must have pulled up 10 crabs while we sat there. Eventually, he headed over to the other side of the lagoon. I wonder if the crabs pinch the inside of the curlew as it goes down. Those shorebirds must have some tough insides.