Willet
Tringa semipalmata

f4.5 @ 1/1600s, ISO:200, Nikon D300S w 300mm and 1.4X tele-extender

\"Willet,\" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The Willet (Tringa semipalmata), formerly in the monotypic genus Catoptrophorus as Catoptrophorus semipalmatus,is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family. It is a good-sized and stout scolopacid, the largest of the shanks. Its closest relative is the Lesser Yellowlegs, a much smaller bird with a very different appearance apart from the fine, clear, and dense pattern of the neck, which both species show in breeding plumage. In flight, showing the bold underwing pattern. Adults have gray legs and a long, straight, dark and stout bill. The body is dark gray above and light underneath. The tail is white with a dark band at the end. The distinctive black and white pattern of the wings is a common sight along many North American coastal beaches.

Southcape Beach, Mashpee, Massachusetts

04/29/2010