Tags
barnegat lighthouse state park, Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, photography, postaday, ruddy turnstone
Ruddy Turnstones are fairly common on the New Jersey shore. I have been seeing them since this Spring. Wearing their breeding colors, they are easy to spot on the jetty at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.
In flight they look stunning.
Last week at the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, many birds covered a small island in the marshes. Scanning the island through my camera’s viewfinder, at one point I saw sand being thrown upward by tiny feet. After a few minutes, it turned out that it was a Ruddy Turnstone making a perfectly round scrape as a nest site.
Oh that is such gorgeous plumage … handsome! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
These birds really stand out when they are in a flock of several kinds of birds, like when they all gather to eat horseshoe crab eggs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great capture showing some of the lifestyle of these colourful birds
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Diana!
LikeLike
These are very striking birds and you captures them well!
LikeLike
Thank you John!
LikeLike
I’m confused – why on earth would a turnstone in New Jersey in August want to build a nest? Oh well, with nature, you never know. And I’m a bit surprised they are still in breeding plumage, too. Great photos, as always!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are not the only one. I was surprised also to see her digging out the scrape this late in the season. There is still time, but this is cutting it very close.
LikeLike
Wow, maybe another bit of climate change evidence – an adaptation. 🙂
LikeLike
You really do have a special knack for photographing birds ~ great series Hien.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much!
LikeLike
I love their bright orange legs! So many sea birds have orange legs, there must be an evolutionary advantage to them.
LikeLike
You may be on to something, Emma. Maybe that color attracts potential mates.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sexy to other birds, eh?
LikeLike
Beautiful photos again, Hien!
Ruddy Turnstones visit South Africa in summer, but I have yet to get a decent picture of one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you go to the shore? That’s the only place where I have seen them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A beauty of a bird. I love it when when they do birdie yoga– ‘Tree Pose.’ 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, ha! Birds do that yoga tree pose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Arenaria Interpres does not live in South Europe. This bird is amazing, and wonderful are your photos 😀
Ciao
Sid
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Sid!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great images once again! Ruddy turnstones only migrate through my part of the world as far as I know, so I seldom see them in breeding plumage as you do. It seems late in the year for one to begin building a nest though, I hope that it works out for them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Jerry! I had the same thought about that nest, and just hope the bird knows what it is doing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
What pretty birds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Katelon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, beautiful birds!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you like them, Takami!
LikeLike
Beautiful.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you!
LikeLike