Two yellowlegs pause in shallow water

The wetland edge holds still water this morning, reflecting the full canopy that has closed over the creek. In the shallows where cattails meet open water, two long-legged shorebirds probe the muddy bottom with methodical precision. Their yellow legs flash beneath the surface as they wade deeper, then retreat to work the exposed edges where small invertebrates concentrate.

These are yellowlegs, both greater and lesser, pausing here during their long flight north to the boreal forests where they will nest. The greater yellowlegs stands taller, its bill slightly upturned and longer than its head. The lesser yellowlegs moves with quicker steps, its straight bill shorter and more delicate. Both species travel thousands of miles each spring, but they use this wetland differently. The greater yellowlegs wades into deeper water, sweeping its bill side to side through the water column to catch small fish and aquatic insects. The lesser yellowlegs stays closer to shore, picking individual prey from the surface and just below it, methodically working through midge larvae and tiny crustaceans.

Their feeding creates small disturbances that ripple outward, stirring sediment and organic matter that feeds the wetland's base of life. Each probe brings up nutrients from the bottom, each step redistributes the microscopic organisms that form the foundation of this ecosystem. The yellowlegs are not just passing through; they are participating in the wetland's nutrient cycling, their presence connecting this small habitat to the vast network of stopover sites that stretches from South America to the Arctic. The energy they gain here will carry them hundreds of miles further north, while the energy they expend will remain in the system they are feeding from.

Their different bill lengths and feeding behaviors mean both species can use the same shallow water without competing directly. The greater yellowlegs takes advantage of slightly deeper areas and larger prey, while the lesser yellowlegs works the margins and surface films where smaller invertebrates gather. This separation allows the wetland to support both species during the narrow window when migration timing brings them together. In a few days, they will continue north, leaving behind a wetland that has been gently disturbed and enriched by their presence.

Listen for their calls as they feed: the greater yellowlegs gives a loud, ringing series of three or four notes, while the lesser yellowlegs offers a softer, shorter call of one or two notes. The water around their legs catches the light filtering through the new leaves above, creating small flashes as they move through the shallows.