Texas Shorebirds in April

The Gulf Coast provides many accessible site for watching shorebirds, so I thought I'd share some photos from our recent trip to Florida (Tarpon Springs) and East Texas (Bolivar Peninsula). Have written about these species at some length in the past, so today I'll stick with pictures. Many of the birds are in transition from winter (basic) to breeding (alternate) plumage.

Ruddy Turnstone - Arenaria interpres - Breeding

Dunlin - Calidris alpina - Winter

Western Sandpiper - Calidris mauri - Breeding. Blurry Sanderling in background.

Sanderling - Callidris alba - Molting into breeding plumage.