Whimbrels and Crowberries

 The first thing you notice when encountering Whimbrels is often not the bird itself but its flute-like call. Since they are mostly seen in flocks of several birds they can be heard from quite a distance. When they are feeding on the ground they can be difficult to see since the habitat where their favorite food is found is often overgrown with shrubs that are higher than the birds. To photograph them can be a challenge for that reason and until they take flight they are often not visible.

They can be found on the shore feeding with other shorebirds but mostly when they arrive here in early July they are found on headlands where crowberries tend to grow between and over the rocky outcrops. I was mostly ignorant of this until this summer when I started noticing the little blackish berries growing in the ground cover. It's pretty obvious from the birds droppings and the areas they frequent just what they are feeding on. I needed an expert opinion to get a positive ID on the plant. Thank you.

The crowberry crop is mostly gone now and the number of birds has diminished considerably on the latest outings I've been on. There is one bird in these photos whose meal was interrupted but who still holds a berry in its mouth.

 A few remaining crowberries.