Avocets

Avocets: The four species of avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin recurvus, "curved backwards" and rostrum, "bill". For obvious reasons.

yellower in the waning december sun

Here they seem to enjoy a bit of rough and tumble, with one stomping on the others back and head and pushing it underwater.