Migration's return

For many people, robins and RW blackbirds are the first signs of spring.  In Berrien large adult shorebirds mark the onset of fall (making me even more acutely aware that I still need chat, moorhen, and laughing gull for the year).  Tim found a Marbled Godwit on Jean Klock; I was able to get there about an hour later.  The bird was hanging out with Berrien's much more common large shorb, a willet.

The Godwit is a lot less worn than the fairly raggedy looking Willet.  It still has a lot of breeding plumage barring in the breast however, meaning that it hasn't moulted the body feathers at least.  Per the orange Shorebird guide females average longer bills with more dark.  The birds were fairly content to rest loosely affiliated with the gull flock.  The godwit stretched once though.

Bringing the high drama of this theatre to a close, the birds then switched places.  The composition of the pic benefits though.

Marbled has been somewhat of a bugaboo for my annual listing attempts, this is only the 2nd one I've seen in Berrien since we moved here.