Hudsonian Godwit migrating through Randolph, MA. 10/13/2024.

My first time seeing this larger, graceful shorebird with its amazing bill was last year on Plymouth Beach where two had stopped over during their fall migration. They stayed for a few days to rest and plump up before continuing on their journey. I only saw these two Godwits at a distance, and they were always roosting with their heads tucked way in. Also, only one of those Godwits gave me a fleeting glimpse of that beautiful, specialized beak with its slight upturn at the tip. This time, someone reported that they had seen a juvenile Hudsonian Godwit at Great Pond in Randolph, MA which is only fifteen minutes away for me. Parking is always an issue for this birding hotspot, but I still made my way there and had to walk over a mile along the shoreline to reach the spot where the bird had been reported the day before. It was still there! I was able to get great looks and snap a few photos but, more important to me, it was actively feeding so I was able to observe. It is still amazing to me that I was able to see a Hudsonian Godwit not once, but twice during their fall migration. They breed all the way up in the Arctic and then travel over 10,000 miles down to the southern tip of South America for the winter. Usually their fall migration occurs through the central part of the United States or over open ocean so seeing them over near the eastern coast is quite rare.