American Avocets are common visitors to our marshes, wintering here but leaving for inland breeding grounds before summer arrives. I saw a group at Prime Hook Refuge recently, too far away to photograph and also in very unflattering light. I searched back through old photography files and found a couple of photographs of them to share. They are very distinctive and beautiful birds with an eye catching feeding process. They feed, often as a group seemingly in unison, by sweeping their bills side to side in shallow water as they walk. I love watching it, it is very dance-like. I can almost hear the Planet Earth music playing when I watch it.
