Saturday, June 22, 2019

Spending the summer?


Mid-June is probably one of the least likely times to see a Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in Bodega Bay.  Most of them are much farther north at this time, nesting in the Arctic.

When you see a Whimbrel in mid-late June, it's probably either a non-breeding individual that didn't migrate north, or one that's returning from the breeding grounds very early.  I'm guessing this is the former, as its feathers are very worn and tattered, as if it didn't complete a molt into breeding plumage.

Photographed in Bodega Bay on 22 June 2019.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment