Wilson’s Plover doing the Funky Chicken – Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm at 400mm, natural light
Some photos make me laugh out loud the second I see them on my LCD screen or on my monitor at home and this photo is one of them. I believe I even laughed out loud while I was photographing the Wilson’s Plover on the sands of the north beach of Fort De Soto County Park in Pinellas County, Florida.
Wilson’s Plovers are medium sized shorebirds with long legs, stout bills, short necks, brown backs and one thick black or brown chest band and I will never see one in Utah because they are only found along the coasts on ocean beaches, lagoons and salt flats. I saw Wilson’s Plovers regularly at Fort De Soto and on Honeymoon Island State Park while I lived in Florida.
There are only an estimated 8,600 Wilson’s Plovers in the U.S. and perhaps another 6000 in Caribbean and in Mexico, their population is in decline and there have been requests to have them federally listed under the Endangered Species Act. The current administration is doing its best to gut the Endangered Species Act which would put many species at risk of extinction including these amazing shorebirds.
On a May morning in 2008 while photographing this Wilson’s Plover it began to scratch itself with its foot and when I took this photo it looked like the plover was dancing. Of course it wasn’t but that is how it looked. “Dance like nobody’s watching” always comes to my mind when I view this Wilson’s Plover photo.
Life is good. Each and every day.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Wilson’s Plover photos plus facts and information about this species.
Made me smile as well, Mia ! Love it ! Hope you are doing well, Cheers, Hans
That bird is a well-rounded entertainer. I took a video of one singing his heart out!
Looks like the jarabe tapatiio (Mexican Hat Dance) to me…love the cute dancer!
Fred Astaire…eat your heart out! Great pic Mia. Thanks.
Cool photo, Mia.
Very sweet.
This made me chuckle. So sweet.
🙂