01026 WHIMBRELS

          What if you had to flap your wings for close to 2,500 miles?  The 20,000 Whimbrels roosting on Deveaux Bank off the South Carolina coast have just done that.  Whimbrels do not soar and they do not swim.  Arriving from the north coast of South America depleted of energy, they feed on marsh fiddler crabs for 2 months to fatten enough for the remaining flight to subarctic Canada and Alaska.  Fiddler crabs may not look very fatty to us, yet, that fiddler crab diet provides energy so efficiently that the birds can begin to lay eggs on arrival in the far north.  WHIMBRELS, a 12” x 36’ (30 x 91 cm) oil on canvas, $950, depicts a partial flock on the way from an offshore bank to find sustenance in the marshes.  Natural features, like the shapes of beaches, creeks and tree lines help the birds navigate.