The things we do for food!

In most cases, when you think about birds out feeding, it always seems that they neat and clean, rarely ever a mess. This does not hold for those birds that gather their food out on the tidal flats. Once the waters go out, all that is left is a large wet area of sandy, muddy, mucky goop. Mixed up in this rather nasty mix, are shrimp, crabs, salamanders, and other assorted snack items that the herons, egrets, and other shore birds eat.

Nobody dives in for a meal like the Ibis. With a bill that is nearly 10 inches, they have the ability to get pretty deep down in the muck to find what they are looking for. Doesn't that just look yummy?

While this Ibis seems to at least keep it's face out of the mud, mostly...

This one got a much easier meal, catching a crab, running around on the surface!

This beautiful Jeweled Moray Eel got trapped on the flats when the water when out. Not a good thing! When I spotted it, and this White Ibis headed right for it, I got the tripod set up, and waited for the action!!  The Ibis walked up to it, saw what it was....., and promptly walk all the way around it!  That bugger has a good set of teeth.

Now, the Snowy Egret is a bird that knows how to keep things tidy even when playing in the mud!

The Wilson's Plovers were working the edge of the water, gobbling down the little Fiddlers Crabs that follow the water line in and out.

Of course the Black Skimmers never seem to make too much of a mess, just cruising along snapping up little fishes!

And the Black-crowned Night Herons do very well for them selves chasing down the small crabs that also get caught in the outgoing water