Whatever You Say, Willet!

A willet (Tringa semipalmata) joined about a hundred ruddy turnstones on June 1 on a pier at Broad Channel Park in Jamaica Bay and gave them all a talking-to. I'm not sure what this large shorebird was saying to the smaller shorebirds, but the bird was very loud! I filmed the willet for a couple of minutes, and I present the lecture in my most recent Filming the Feathers video.

A willet with ruddy turnstones, June 1, Broad Channel Park, Jamaica Bay.

I added a little music at the end of this short video, because the willet seemed to need a little accompaniment. As you will see, the turnstones weren't all that impressed. Soon after this video, the willet and the turnstones took off (the nearby osprey stayed a while longer).

Another Silly Video by Susan Kirby. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes, "Piercing calls and distinctive wing markings make the otherwise subdued Willet one of our most conspicuous large shorebirds." This video lets you hear that "piercing call," as a not-so-subdued willet (Tringa semipalmata) arrives on a pier at Broad Channel Park, Jamaica Bay, to give a talking to a hundred or more ruddy turnstones.

I enjoyed photographing the willet, even though most of my shots show an open mouth!