Tringa semipalmata
The willet has been described as a large, plain shorebird. The former may be true (this individual caught my eye on Antelope Island in Utah while traveling at speed in a car!), but the latter is anything but!
At first glance, the willet blends into its surroundings with understated gray-brown plumage. But when it takes flight, bold black-and-white wings transform it into a striking presence against the shoreline. Its sharp, ringing call echoes across the flats, unmistakable even in a crowded coastal landscape.
Far from plain, the willet is a bird of contrast—subtle until it moves, quiet until it calls, ordinary until you take a second look.
mjacophoto.blog 