{"id":20954,"date":"2015-03-15T05:31:27","date_gmt":"2015-03-15T11:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=20954"},"modified":"2025-11-17T10:42:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T16:42:17","slug":"hoping-for-curlews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/15\/hoping-for-curlews\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoping For Curlews"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Long-billedLong-billed Curlew on a sandy beach – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago I saw my first of the year Sage Thrasher and now I am hoping to see and hear my first of the year Long-billed Curlews as well. The temperatures have risen here and a record will probably be shattered today with a projected high of 76\u00b0F for today.<\/p>\n

The curlew migration can’t be too far behind the Sage Thrashers!<\/p>\n

Long-billed Curlews are our largest shorebird in North America with sensitive bills that can probe deep into the soil. When I saw and photographed wintering Long-billed Curlews in Florida I never heard them call but they do call<\/span><\/a> here in Utah and it is a sound that I adore.<\/p>\n

The curlew in the image above is a young female that decided to stay in Florida during the nesting season in June of 2009, some young birds will stay on the wintering grounds their first summer. I don’t think many of them do that though.<\/p>\n

Will today be the day I hear a curlew? I kind of hope so.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Long-billed Curlew photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two days ago I saw my first of the year Sage Thrasher and now I am hoping to see and hear my first of the year Long-billed Curlews as well. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164018,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,199],"tags":[4021,4132,4133,3980,3454,3975,274],"class_list":["post-20954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-long-billed-curlews","tag-bird-photography","tag-long-billed-curlew","tag-numenius-americanus","tag-pinellas-county","tag-sandy-beach","tag-shorebird","tag-shorebirds-2"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-florida-mia-mcpherson-4634.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-5rY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45294,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2017\/03\/02\/listening-for-long-billed-curlews\/","url_meta":{"origin":20954,"position":0},"title":"Listening For Long-billed Curlews","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The first of March always makes me think of and listen for Long-billed Curlews, our largest shorebird of North America.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Long-billed Curlew in spring grasses, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0324.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0324.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0324.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-grasses-mia-mcpherson-0324.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20713,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/02\/27\/whimbrels-and-long-billed-curlews\/","url_meta":{"origin":20954,"position":1},"title":"Whimbrels and Long-billed Curlews","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"When I lived in Florida I was able to see and photograph two of our largest North American shorebirds during winter which are Whimbrels and Long-billed Curlews.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew and a Fiddler Crab at the north beach of Fort De Soto County Park, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/long-billed-curlew-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-6759.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/long-billed-curlew-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-6759.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/long-billed-curlew-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-6759.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/long-billed-curlew-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-6759.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51346,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/22\/long-billed-curlews-shorebirds-of-the-great-basin\/","url_meta":{"origin":20954,"position":2},"title":"Long-billed Curlews – Shorebirds of the Great Basin","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"It was one year ago today that I saw and heard my first Long-billed Curlews of the year and this morning as I sit here knowing there are cloudy skies outside I am wondering if the curlews have returned to northern Utah today as well.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Long-billed Curlew in the grasses on Antelope Island, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, 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McPherson","date":"July 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Owls are well known for being able to turn their heads 270 degrees, Long-billed Curlews aren't.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew with its head all twisted around, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-twisted-mia-mcpherson-7898.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-twisted-mia-mcpherson-7898.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-twisted-mia-mcpherson-7898.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14602,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/23\/the-long-billed-curlews-are-back-in-utah\/","url_meta":{"origin":20954,"position":4},"title":"Long-billed Curlews Are Back In Utah!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 23, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I saw my first of the year Long-billed Curlews two days ago on Antelope Island State Park flying overhead. They weren't close enough to photograph but I know that soon I will have them in my viewfinder again.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Curlew walking the shore of the Gulf of Mexico at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/long-billed-curlew-shoreline-mia-mcpherson-6031.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":24945,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/05\/31\/growth-of-bills-in-long-billed-curlews\/","url_meta":{"origin":20954,"position":5},"title":"Growth of Bills in Long-billed Curlews","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I thought a post on the growth of bills in Long-billed Curlews might interest some of my readers.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Long-billed Curlew chick at Bear River NWR, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-chick-mia-mcpherson-7781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-chick-mia-mcpherson-7781.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-chick-mia-mcpherson-7781.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/long-billed-curlew-chick-mia-mcpherson-7781.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20954\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}