The sky was gray as the late afternoon sun faded away behind heavy clouds, but not even the approaching gloom could dim the spectacular yellow color of the legs on a Lesser Yellowlegs as he picked through the shallow waters of a flooded field at
Voice of America (VOA) MetroPark...
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| A Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) forages in the shallow waters of a flooded field at VOA MetroPark in West Chester, Ohio. |
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| A Lesser Yellowlegs has his eye on something... |
Is that a Lesser Yellowlegs or Greater Yellowlegs? I'm pretty sure this guy is a Lesser. He didn't seem tall enough to be a Greater. The best way to tell Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs apart is to look at their height, bulk, and the length of their bill. Lessers are about 10 inches tall and have dark bills about the same size as their heads. Greaters are about 14 or 15 inches tall and have slightly upturned bills a little longer their heads. Greaters are more bulky as well.
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| The water in the flooded fields wasn't that deep, but it was perfect for Lesser Yellowlegs. Earlier I saw this fellow nab a small crawdad (aka crawfish or crayfish) and there were empty crawdad shells scattered all over the fields where the water had receded. Maybe he has his eye on another? |
Where did all of those crawfish shells come from? To grow larger, a crawfish must shed its shell and grow a new one. It may do this ten to fifteen times in its lifetime. After it molts, it is very soft, so it pumps itself up with water to gain girth and make lots of room for the new shell to form. Crawfish are mature at two years and can live up to seven years (
click here for more information on crawfish).
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| The classic profile of this beautiful bird... |
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| A Lesser Yellowlegs foraging in a vernal pool in late afternoon light. |
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| ...watch out crawdad! |
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