{"id":42305,"date":"2016-09-30T06:09:25","date_gmt":"2016-09-30T12:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=42305"},"modified":"2024-11-13T03:10:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T09:10:38","slug":"willet-and-me-until-after-election-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/09\/30\/willet-and-me-until-after-election-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Willet and Me – Until After Election Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WilletWillet foraging in the Gulf of Mexico – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1\/320, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I try not hard not to address, discuss or debate about politics on my site because I feel that the choices we make politically are deeply personal, much the same as religion or the lack of believing in one.<\/p>\n

I do bring up politics when it comes to conservation, the environment, public lands staying in public hands, wildlife management and of course protecting birds and endangered species. I already know whose names I will select in the voting booth and wish I could vote for them today and get it over with.<\/p>\n

The nastiness I have seen so far for Election 2016 makes me feel like hiding in a cave or locating a campsite in the mountains miles away from the nearest internet connection or hiding my head underwater until after election day.<\/p>\n

But I won’t. I’ll be out photographing birds like this Willet foraging in the Gulf of Mexico, other wildlife and the beauty of nature.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Willet photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

Willet photographed in September of 2008 at Fort De Soto’s north beach<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ll be out photographing birds like this Willet foraging in the Gulf of Mexico, other wildlife and the beauty of nature. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136736,"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":[27,25,704,2000,308],"tags":[4004,14752,4136,4077,992,274,4168,5451,3996,4119,4047,4748],"class_list":["post-42305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-willets","tag-adult","tag-coastal-island","tag-foraging","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-sandpipers","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-tringa-semipalmata","tag-underwater","tag-water","tag-waves","tag-willet","tag-willets"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/willet-head-under-water-mia-mcpherson-8417.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-b0l","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":138985,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2025\/01\/27\/willet-and-the-gulf-of-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":42305,"position":0},"title":"Willet And The Gulf Of Mexico","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 27, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I dug way back into my archives for this photo of a Willet with waves rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico, taken in 2008 at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "Florida"","block_context":{"text":"Florida","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/florida\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Willet with waves coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/willet-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8966.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14726,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/09\/our-willets-have-returned\/","url_meta":{"origin":42305,"position":1},"title":"Our Willets Have Returned","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday for the first time this season I saw and heard Willets on Antelope Island State Park.","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":"Willet foraging in the Gulf of Mexico, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-florida-mia-mcpherson-9495.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-florida-mia-mcpherson-9495.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-florida-mia-mcpherson-9495.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-florida-mia-mcpherson-9495.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4903,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/03\/willets-in-utah-and-florida\/","url_meta":{"origin":42305,"position":2},"title":"Willets – In Utah and Florida","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Willets have returned to Utah, on the causeway to Antelope Island hundreds of them can be seen in the shallow water. They seem to spend some time there fattening up after migration before they get down to the serious business of mating and rearing their young.","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":"Willet with waves at sunrise, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-waves-mia-mcpherson-8979.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-waves-mia-mcpherson-8979.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-waves-mia-mcpherson-8979.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-waves-mia-mcpherson-8979.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26096,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/07\/03\/shades-of-blue-and-a-willet-too\/","url_meta":{"origin":42305,"position":3},"title":"Shades of Blue and a Willet Too","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"As we go into a holiday weekend filled with loud noises and flashes of fireworks I wanted to share something more peaceful, a simple image of a Willet walking on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Shades of blue and a Willet too, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-shades-of-blue-mia-mcpherson-8955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-shades-of-blue-mia-mcpherson-8955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-shades-of-blue-mia-mcpherson-8955.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-shades-of-blue-mia-mcpherson-8955.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14746,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/04\/13\/a-willet-and-redstem-filaree\/","url_meta":{"origin":42305,"position":4},"title":"Willet and Redstem Filaree","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Two days ago I was able to photograph a Willet on Antelope Island calling from some rocks and foraging in the grasses and blooming Redstem Filaree.","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":"Willet and filaree, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-western-mia-mcpherson-3670.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-western-mia-mcpherson-3670.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-western-mia-mcpherson-3670.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":94565,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/09\/07\/willet-sunrise-and-the-gulf-of-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":42305,"position":5},"title":"Willet, Sunrise And The Gulf Of Mexico","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When I look at this photo of a Willet in the waves of the Gulf of Mexico I can almost hear the sounds, taste the tang of salt in the air and feel the warm water on my skin.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Willet in the waves of the Gulf of Mexico, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8975.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8975.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8975.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/willet-surf-gulf-of-mexico-mia-mcpherson-8975.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\/42305","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=42305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/136736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}