While birding at Ft.Fisher N.C. last weekend, I spotted a handsome Willet sitting on some rocks along the shoreline.
These medium sized shorebirds are commonly found along the coast of North Carolina throughout the year. During the summer breeding season, they are a warm brown color. In the cooler months they are dressed in a mottled gray plumage.

You’ll often find these birds in marshes, bays and at the beach where they are scavenging for small crabs, worms, snails and various invertebrates. They hunt for their food by probing into the sand and gravel with their bill, using their sense of touch to find a meal as much as they do using their sight!
Because Willets use the sensitive tip of their bills to search for food, these birds are able to eat during the night and daytime which I find fascinating 🙂 I’m looking forward to returning to Ft.Fisher tomorrow morning and hope that I’ll be able to photograph one of these lovely birds again!
Photo by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc
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