American Avocet
Recurvirostra americana
The American Avocet’s breeding habitat is marshes, beaches, prairie ponds, and shallow lakes. In North America these birds will breed in summer throughout the Rocky Mountain zone and adjacent prairies from Texas and New Mexico north to southern Canada and the northern Great Basin. Over most of its range, this bird is migratory, but over much of California and central Mexico it is a resident. Winters will find these birds mostly in the southern USA and Mexico.
The early 20th Century saw many wetlands drained and unregulated hunting. During this time, we extirpated American Avocets in the eastern USA. Many of the remaining wetlands have remained contaminated with chemicals such as selenium and methylmercury, which continue to pose threats to chick survival. Yet despite these obstacles, the populations have stabilised in the past 60 years.
I’ve enjoyed meeting American Avocets as I’ve travelled in the Western USA, but I have special memories of those I met while accompanying biologists on their Elegant Tern nesting surveys at the Saltworks in the South San Diego Bay National Wildlife Reserve. These birds and their cousins, the Black-Necked Stilts, place their nests nearer the salt ponds than do the terns, and bravely endeavor to distract us as we pass by their chosen nest sites on our quests to count the tern’s nests and eggs.
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) The beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-04. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:04 10:11 |
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Location:
Poe Road |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: Cut_JCD1202.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Injured wing ploy. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-20. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:20 11:36 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD9487.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:06:08 10:04 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD9416-AmericanAvocet |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-20. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:20 10:37 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/1500 |
File Name: JCD9153.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Upper Owens River Valley. Mono County, California USA 2011-05-29. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:29 11:07 |
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Location:
North Landing |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD8869-AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Foraging at Chula Vista Bayfront Park, Chula Vista, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2012:04:24 15:24 |
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Location:
Bayfront Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X1284-AmericanAvocet |
| © 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Near Lindsey Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-11-26. |
Date Taken: 2009:11:26 15:19 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: JCD8135.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-08-05. |
Date Taken: 2009:08:05 10:14 |
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Location:
South San Diego |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD5668.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) The beach at Poe Road. Salton Sea Vicinity. Imperial County, California USA 2009-07-04. |
Date Taken: 2009:07:04 10:11 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: JCD1202.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Injury ploy. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-06-03. |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 11:26 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD0798.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Swimming to avoid bipedal 'predators'. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-06-03. |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 10:50 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 450 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: JCD0684.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-06-03. |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 10:33 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/9.0, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD0530.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 13:03 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD0166.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Injury ploy. Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-05-27. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:27 12:52 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 340 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 |
File Name: JCD0077.AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, California USA 2011-11-01. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:01 10:43 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/5 |
File Name: D3X4371-AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Coming into the world at the Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA 2009-06-03. |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 10:51 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 280 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD0694.AmericanAvocet.Egg_.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) A brand new generation. Only a few minutes old at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge USA 2009-06-03. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 9:05 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 460 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1234-Chick-Nest |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) A brand new generation at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California USA. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge 2017-05-17. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 9:06 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 460 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1237-Chick-Nest |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: At the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 9:10 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 460 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1262 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) A brand new generation at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 10:31 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 310 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1480-Chick-Nest |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: (Recurvirostra americana) Diverting attention from their swimming chick at the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California USA. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge 2017-05-17. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 10:31 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1627 |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Coming into the world at the Saltworks at South San Diego Bay NWR. San Diego County, California USA |
Date Taken: 2009:06:03 10:51 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 280 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: JCD0694.AmericanAvocet.Egg_.Chick_ |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets were feeding in the shallow waters near the shoreline. This image was captured during a 4 hour vigil at the Mono Lake shore north of Lee Vining California. Summers at Mono Lake, when the algae blooms occur in this super-salty water, Brine-flies (or Alkali Flies) feed on the algae. Millions of birds, as many as 80 species feed on the fat and protein rich flies. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:20 15:45 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X5537-MonoLake |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: At the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 9:07 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 460 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1250 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: At the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 9:02 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1222 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: At the South San Diego Bay Saltworks in Chula Vista California. Part of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. |
Date Taken: 2017:05:17 8:54 |
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Location:
Saltworks |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 550 mm, f/7.1, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X1161 |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Imperial Beach, San Diego, California. |
Date Taken: 2013:03:21 10:23 |
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Location:
Imperial Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X1860-AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Henderson, Nevada outside of Las Vegas at the "Bird Viewing Preserve". |
Date Taken: 2015:05:05 12:23 |
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Location:
Bird Viewing Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: D3X9155-AmericanAvocet |
| © 2007 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: A few miles east of Roswell New Mexico, along the Pecos River, is Bitter Lake NWR, where I found these avocets and stilts nesting near each other, just as they do in Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2020:05:11 9:17 |
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Location:
Bitter Lake NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D505755-BitterLake-NWR |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Along the Southeastern shoreline of the Salton Sea near the intersection of Lack and Lindsey Roads in Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:11 9:00 |
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Location:
Lack-and-Lindsey-Roads |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X0613-LackLindsey |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Seen while visiting the Salton Sea along the south-eastern shoreline. Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:10:30 13:27 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5D1697 |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 6:58 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X6071-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets were the most numerous birds on the river mouth. I rode my bike to the southern end of Boca Chica Beach and enjoyed meeting the foraging birds at the mouth of the Rio Grande. This is the east-most border of Texas and Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:30 8:11 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X5899-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Frantic foragers. Avocets were the most numerous birds on the river mouth. I rode my bike to the southern end of Boca Chica Beach and enjoyed meeting the foraging birds at the mouth of the Rio Grande. This is the east-most border of Texas and Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:30 8:26 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X6239-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets far outnumbered all other shorebirds on the river mouth. I loaded my gear on my bike and rode out on Boca Chica Beach to the mouth of the Rio Grande, where the fresh water meets the Gulf of Mexico. Here the chances to meet and observe the dynamic interaction of species are high. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:27 9:34 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X5895-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets far outnumbered all other shorebirds on the river mouth. I loaded my gear on my bike and rode out on Boca Chica Beach to the mouth of the Rio Grande, where the fresh water meets the Gulf of Mexico. Here the chances to meet and observe the dynamic interaction of species are high. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:27 10:30 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X7146-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets far outnumbered all other shorebirds on the river mouth. I loaded my gear on my bike and rode out on Boca Chica Beach to the mouth of the Rio Grande, where the fresh water meets the Gulf of Mexico. Here the chances to meet and observe the dynamic interaction of species are high. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:27 9:51 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X6288-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets far outnumbered all other shorebirds on the river mouth. I loaded my gear on my bike and rode out on Boca Chica Beach to the mouth of the Rio Grande, where the fresh water meets the Gulf of Mexico. Here the chances to meet and observe the dynamic interaction of species are high. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:27 9:37 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X5952-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: I found Avocets were quite at home on the freshwater wetlands. Hurricane Harvey, in 2017, hit Port Aransas (Texas) hard. The beginning stages of rebuilding the Port Aransas Nature Center’s boardwalk began with a 1500 footpath, but there are plans to extend it to about three miles. |
Date Taken: 2021:02:28 8:39 |
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Location:
Port Aransas Nature Preserve |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X6697-PortAransas_TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
American Avocet(Recurvirostra americana) |
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Description: Avocets far outnumbered all other shorebirds on the river mouth. I loaded my gear on my bike and rode out on Boca Chica Beach to the mouth of the Rio Grande, where the fresh water meets the Gulf of Mexico. Here the chances to meet and observe the dynamic interaction of species are high. |
Date Taken: 2021:03:27 9:31 |
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Location:
Boca Chica Beach |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: AmericanAvocet_D5X5769-BocaChicaBeach |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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