Willet, #43/50

This Willet was searching for food by the waters edge near Indian Shores.  I made another stop to the Seabird Sanctuary there and took a walk out back to enjoy the shorebirds that I may find.

The Willet is a large shorebird, pale gray overall, with long bluish-gray legs and bill.

The Willet is a common and abundant resident in southern Florida,

~snowy egret~ #2/50 Checklist of Florida's Birds

The top two images were taken at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, and I think the concrete backgrounds help the bird stand out and show off the beautiful plumage.  Taken in January 2012. The bottom image was taken at Merritt Island NWR in early morning light.

Interesting facts:
A very dainty beautiful species, its nuptial plumage is brilliant white, making it highly conspicuous.  Legs are black, the feet bright yellow, or even red in the high-breeding season. The bill is black and appears almost pencil thin, before tapering to a point. The species was almost extirpated in North America, but has made a comeback.