Iroquois NWR

Hard to say for certain whether this yellowlegs is of the "greater" or "lesser" variety. Both are quite similar in appearance and, as you might have guessed, the long bill is perhaps the first thing you notice about this migrating shorebird -- at least in this photo. 

This photo plainly shows how the yellowlegs got its name... and those legs come in handy for stalking small fish in the shoreline shallows.

The yellowlegs' long bill also proves useful when seeking a meal.

Here the yellowlegs uses its bill to probe for food, moving it back and forth to stir up the silty bottom and in the process locate snails and other aquatic morsels.

A sandhill crane makes a rare appearance along the Feeder Road at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge.  

According to the "Audubon Field Guide to BIrds," there are isolated populations scattered in places like the Rocky Mountains and northern prairies, the majority of sandhill breeding takes place in regions throughout Siberia and across the Canadian arctic.

The mating dance of the sandhill crane is said to be spectacular. A mating pair will face each other and suddenly leap into the air with wings extended and feet thrown forward. Having done that they will then bow to each other and perform an encore. 

It could be they were staging for an autumn migration, but whatever the reason, upwards of three dozen great egrets had gathered in one area of the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area last Friday.

The egrets took a liking to this narrow strip of water, all but hidden by a large expanse of cattails. At a distance, the egrets are barely discernable, appearing as tiny white dots on the water in the middle of the photo.  

Evidently the location teemed with one or both of the egret's favorite food sources - small fish and frogs.

Judging from the movement of the large wading birds...

it would seem there was an ample supply of food in all directions.

Not far away, east of Route 77, dabbling ducks were having a feast of their own in Mohawk Pool on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Mallards, pintails, green- and blue-winged teal, and widgeon were on hand for an aquatic feed.

The food supply must have been both tasty and plentiful because the ducks seemed more intent on eating than breathing - no matter where you looked, the ducks' heads were submerged..........that little fella on the right was one of the few exceptions (maybe he was full). 

It was a good morning, the next to last day of summer and capped off with this egret on the fly.