Swans have Swan Lake, so why shouldn’t shorebirds have Shorebird Ballet?
It looked like these Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) were practicing their dance moves in the water one day recently. As you can see, it requires great balance and, as the second photo shows, attention to the foot position—you have to keep the toes pointed. (One or more of these might be Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca), but my identification skills are not honed enough to be able to distinguish between the two with any great certainty.)
You can’t turn on the television these days without seeing commercials for dance competition programs like Dancing With the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance. These birds could be at the leading edge of a new dance craze, Dancing With the Birds.
They already have a leg up on their competition.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 