Dowitchers

I happened upon this flock of 15 Dowitchers in late May while kayaking on a marsh in North Sutton, NH. They were unexpected and spectacular, and were were happy to allow me to float in within 6 feet of their favorite log. At one point they flew off for 50 yards to scatter over an impressive beaver lodge, then they flew back to their log perch.

I had never seen dowitchers before so I had to look them up. This from Cornell's All About Birds website:

••• In breeding plumage, Short-billed Dowitchers are lovely orange, brown, and golden shorebirds with chunky bodies and very long bills (despite the name). Look for them in wetlands across North America, from coastal mudflats to sewage ponds and flooded fields. Like the very similar Long-billed Dowitcher, it probes for food by rhythmically inserting the bill straight up and down like a sewing machine needle at work. On tundra breeding grounds, males perform flight displays on quivering wings, delivering a grating, bubbly song.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Short-billed_Dowitcher/overview

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