I’ve been looking to get photos of a Hudsonian Godwit for years now.  

This weekend I succeeded.  

I think this may have to go in an exhibit.

These were taken at Sandy Point, the far end of Plum Island, Massachusetts, just past the end of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge.  Most were taken Sunday, but the bird was visible both Saturday and Sunday, foraging in the sand and water for small worms or eels, sucking them up through its long, upturned beak.

Godwits travel for thousands of miles without a break.  In the US you only get them during migration.  This one was probably stopping off to do a lot of feeding before it continues its trek from the far north to the far end of South America.    Getting to see it this close and in this much detail was a real treat.

The photos here are all smaller versions.  Clicking on them gets you to the larger, more detailed, photos on my web site.

This was one hell of a way to get a new life bird.