Willet Duo on Dauphin Island, Alabama Jigsaw Puzzle

"Willet Duo on Dauphin Island, Alabama" by Catherine Sherman. Two willets search for food on the beach at the edge of the surf, gracefully dodging big waves as they roll in on Dauphin Island, Alabama. Willets (Tringa semipalmata) are members of the sandpiper family. These shore birds forage by walking on shore, in marsh, or in shallow water, probing with its bill in mud or water, or picking items from the surface. Dauphin Island is at the mouth of Mobile Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. The island is the home to The Audubon Bird Sanctuary, where many migratory birds spend part of the year. Dauphin Island has been named one of the top four locations in North America for viewing spring migrations. The Sanctuary consists of 137 acres of maritime forest, marshes, and dunes, including a lake, a swamp, and a beach. Recently, the 3 mile trail system within the Sanctuary has been designated as a National Recreational Trail. It is located at the Eastern end of Dauphin Island, a 14 mile-long barrier island situated off the Alabama Gulf Coast. The Sanctuary is of vital importance because it is the largest segment of protected forest on the Island and the first landfall for neo-tropical migrant birds after their long flight across the Gulf from Central and South America each spring. Here these birds, often exhausted and weakened from severe weather during the long flight, find their first food and shelter. Of the 445 species officially documented in Alabama presently, ninety-five percent have been observed on the island. It is also their final stop before their return flight each fall. The Bird Sanctuary has allowed Dauphin Island to be recognized by the National Audubon Society as being “Globally Important” for bird migrations.