American Avocet captured by Z 9 / 800AFS
American Avocets are a really cool and striking shorebird the resides in North America. In the winter and the non-breeders have a grayish head but the breeders in spring obtain a brilliant rufous head and neck. Then they have a best racing strips bodies making them just a spectacular bird. I’ve had a thing for these birds since my first day as a wildlife photographer but sadly, with disappearing habitats and birds, my time with them in the last two decades has been zero. When we found a flock of about fifty birds yesterday on Bolivar Flats, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Near the end of the good light, found us lying on the sand with the Z 9 / 800AFS photographing the Avocets in the surf foraging! I’ve photographed them forever in the calm water of back bays so this was magical, fun and challenging. The tide was coming up fast, the birds were following their prey past us and here was this unique behavior. I’m hoping for a repeat today, to get the story I missed and improve on what I captured cause I just love surfing Avocets!