I Swear I heard A Willet Calling Two Days Ago

Alert Western Willet on a white rock – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 500mm VR, natural light

While looking for Sage Thrashers to photograph on Antelope Island two days ago I swear I heard a Willet call. It was just one distant call but my ears perked up right away. I looked on eBird.org and I saw that four Willets were reported at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge the day that I was there last week so it is entirely possible that I actually did hear a Willet the other morning.

The call of a Willet on Antelope Island can be heard here.

Last year I avoided Antelope Island State Park after the biting gnats (no-see-ums) came out so I didn’t photograph many of the Willets on the island during the early part of their breeding season when they seem to call and display the most. Western Willets, like Long-billed Curlews, breed in grasslands and Antelope Island has suitable habitat for that purpose. Of course there are other areas of northern Utah that also have great habitat for the Willets during their breeding season but I have found that they are reliably seen on the island and they are usually within range to photograph.

I photographed the alert Willet above on Antelope Island in May of 2017. I don’t know what the Willet was seeing in the sky but it kept an eye on it. Sometimes I hate using a vehicle as a mobile blind because I can’t look up and see what is over my head because of the roof but I know this bird wouldn’t have been so cooperative if I had stepped outside of the vehicle.

Perhaps the Willets will arrive and start displaying before the biting gnats come out on the island, I hope they do!

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Willet photos plus facts and information about this species.