seaweed – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Whimbrel Memories And High Hopes

By Mia McPherson|March 22nd, 2025|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Whimbrels|Tags: adult, beach, coastal island, coastal key, floating, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Numenius phaeopus, sand, sandpipers, seaweed, shorebirds, spring, water, waves, Whimbrel, whimbrels, winter|

I was working on some older posts when I came across a few Whimbrel photos I’d never written about before, including this one from Fort De Soto County Park.

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Short-billed Dowitcher Foraging in Sargassum on the Wrack Line

By Mia McPherson|January 23rd, 2018|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Short-billed Dowitchers|Tags: adult, brown algae, coastal, dowitcher, dowitchers, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Limnodromus griseus, macroalgae, Sargassum, sargassum seaweed, seaweed, shorebirds, Short-billed Dowitcher, summer, wrack line|

This Short-billed Dowitcher slowly made its way through the Sargassum on the wrack line as I laid in the damp sand photographing it and the other shorebirds that were searching the seaweed for food.

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Whimbrel Threat Display

By Mia McPherson|April 19th, 2015|Categories: Birds, Florida, Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Whimbrels|Tags: behavior, Gulf of Mexico, Numenius phaeopus, seaweed, shorebird, shorebirds, threat display, Whimbrel, wintering grounds|

This Whimbrel wasn't reacting to my presence when it exhibited this threat display instead it was reacting to the presence of two other Whimbrels that are outside of the frame.

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Gulf Coast Whimbrel

By Mia McPherson|April 25th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Whimbrels|Tags: adult, coastal, coastal island, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Numenius phaeopus, sandpipers, seaweed, shorebirds, water, waves, Whimbrel, winter|

Among the shorebirds I enjoyed seeing and photographing while I lived in Florida were Whimbrels, I could see flocks of 25 or more during the winter along the coast.

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Short-billed Dowitcher On The Wrack Line

By Mia McPherson|December 20th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Short-billed Dowitchers|Tags: adult, coastal, dowitcher, dowitchers, Gulf of Mexico, Limnodromus griseus, Low angle, Sanderling, Sargassum, sargassum seaweed, seaweed, shorebirds, Short-billed Dowitcher, summer, wrack, wrack line|

I photographed this Short-billed Dowitcher and the out of focus Sanderling the day after a storm had pushed mounds of Sargassum seaweed onto the wrack line and the birds were busy looking for food within it.

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