December 28, 2021
Birdwatching evokes a blissful, meditative state in me like few other activities can. Something about walking in silence with my eyes and ears peeled erases every thought from my mind. Add the sounds, textures, and colors of the beach and time might as well not exist.
Days before the New Year, I was able to spend an afternoon birding the Isla Vista beaches in Santa Barbara, CA. It was just before sunset by the time I arrived, the sun casting a warm glow on shorebirds as they fed along the water.
Several Semipalmated Plovers propelled their little legs across the sand, pausing momentarily every couple of minutes to look around. I’ve never really thought of birds as cute, but I’m not sure how else to describe a Semipalmated Plover’s mouselike scurry. It’s funny how “normal-sized” their miniature bodies look without other shorebirds in the shot for perspective.
In other plover news, a Black-bellied Plover was standing solitary nearby. I like how his feet are sinking into the wet sand in the shot above.
I used to look at shorebirds with long, decurved bills and wonder, “How will I be able to tell if it’s a Long-billed Curlew?” If I could go back in time I would tell myself, “Trust me, you’ll know.” Their bills are unmistakable.
A note about Isla Vista: The beach is vast, but typically fairly populated due to its close proximity to the university. It was desolate the last week of December, so it seems a visit during winter break might be best for birdwatching.
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Gone Birdin' 