Early birds

Just a quick note to document the early return of Whimbrel to our area.  I photographed this flock of eight on Salmon Creek Beach on 27 June 2015.  These are early migrants — the first individuals returning from the northern breeding grounds.  (Most don't start appearing in the Bodega Bay area until July.)

In western North America, Whimbrel nest in subarctic and arctic areas of Alaska and Yukon Territory.  They winter from British Columbia to Chile, with most birds south of San Francisco Bay.