Ruddy Turnstones! 10/08/2022

A quick trip to Wollaston Beach in Quincy yesterday turned up Gulls galore, quite a few Great Egrets in the marsh, another Black-bellied Plover, Killdeer, and Ruddy Turnstones. Unlike the other shorebirds, the Turnstones were not bothered by my presence and just continued to "turn stones" at the shores edge. These three birds, two adults and one juvenile, were feasting on baby crabs called Zoea larva that were uncovered with this behavior. The Ruddy Turnstones were likely fattening up before heading to South America or even Australia although some do actually overwinter locally. They breed on the Arctic tundra so I was lucky to still catch some of the breeding plumage.