There are a number of reasons why I decided to take on this project. My first reason has to do with my interest in birds. This began shortly after moving to Victoria ten and a half years ago. With our house backing onto a wooded area, the chirping of birds is a familiar sound all year long. I often glance out the window to see birds of all forms in the yard throughout the day. Frequently I will pull out the Birds of Victoria or Birds of North America reference guides we have on hand. Unfortunately, the drawings in the first aren’t overly helpful for identification and the number of entries in the second is overwhelming. My second reason has to do with a photography course I took a number of years ago. Since that time I have been trying to think of a practical reason to buy a new camera. Taking pictures of birds requires a powerful zoom lens which my previous point-and-shoot camera could not accommodate. Perfect! My final reason was my desire to take on a new project to welcome in 2011. Hence, bird of the day was born.



Saturday, May 21, 2011

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

 
Appearance:
  • Medium-sized shorebird
  • Long, straight bill
  • Long, greenish legs
  • Short neck
  • Dark crown and eyeline
  • Black bars on tail feathers wider than white
  • Breeding plumage:
  •      Mottled brown upperparts
  •      Rich chestnut underparts
  •      Barred sides
  • All gray in winter

Listen to its call.

 
What better way to spend a cloudy Saturday morning than probing in the mud with half a dozen friends? Okay, so that might not appeal to everyone but these birds seemed to be having a great time bobbing their heads up and down in the shallow waters of Panama Flats.

Learn more about the Long-billed Dowitcher.
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