Sanderling stands tall, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling stretches to its full height amidst the crowd at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Sanderling splash, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling ruffles its feathers and splashes water as it bathes in the shallows at Parker River NWR

When I photographed this flock of sanderlings at the Lot 6 Beach in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge last month, I set up in my ground level position fairly near to the edge of the receding tide. I barely had to move over the next 45 minutes as the flock surrounded me and the birds went about their collective evening routines. It was a delight to share space with them in the fading light, but especially to watch the birds wade and bathe in the shallow water of the ebbing tide. I had never been quite this close to a splashing shorebird before, but I'd love to have the chance to repeat the experience again!

View more photographs of sanderlings

Tule elk in velvet with wild radish, Point Reyes National Seashore

A bull tule elk stands in a field of summer wildflowers in Point Reyes National Seashore

Quail portrait on a fencepost, Point Reyes National Seashore

A California quail posing on a fencepost near Abbott's Lagoon in Point Reyes National Seashore

I've been posting a lot of shorebirds lately since I've had some great recent outings in the area, but I still have a backlog of images from my five day trip to Point Reyes National Seashore over the summer. As I always do while in the park, I was constantly scanning for opportunities to photograph California quail. This particular male perched himself on a relatively plain fencepost, but in front of a nicely colored hillside for a backdrop.

View more of my photographs of California quail.

Sanderling preening in pastel evening light, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling preens in the pastel light of dusk after the sun had slipped behind the dunes

Sanderling in the warm glow of sunset, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling pauses for a moment to soak in the last rays of daylight in Parker River NWR

A sanderling feeds with its reflection, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling reflected in still water as it feeds in late evening light at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Searching semipalmated sandpiper, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A semipalmated sandpiper searches the exposed sands for a late afternoon meal in Parker River NWR

On my most recent trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, the only sandpipers I saw and photographed were sanderlings. The exception was this lone semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) mixed in with the flock, which gave me a few chances to diversify my photographs from the outing.

View more of my photographs of sandpipers.

Sanderling preening at sunset, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling pauses a moment to preen its feathers in the fading light of sunset on Plum Island

I really enjoy watching sandpipers preen. It's just an ordinary part of their existence, but it's a special moment to share with them. It's sometimes challenging to capture an effective photograph of those moments though, as their mid-preen poses often don't look that elegant in a still frame. If I lay on the shutter release long-enough, occasionally I come away with a rewarding pose -- one that has enough of the eye visible and the bird with reasonable posture. Even better when you get to see it all come together in nice light too!

Browse more of my photographs of sanderlings.

Sanderling in the shallows at dusk, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling splashes water droplets as it feeds in the pastel colors of dusk in Parker River NWR

From my evening last weekend with a friendly flock of sanderlings in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. I spent over 45 minutes with this flock as they went through their evening routine of feeding, preening, and splashing through the calm waters of an ebbing tide at sunset.

Browse more photographs of sanderlings (Calidris alba).

Late evening sanderlings, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Sanderlings feed and preen in the final light of day at the Lot #6 Beach in Parker River NWR

On my first trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge after moving to Massachusetts a few years ago, I encountered a huge flock of shorebirds along the beach at Lot #6. Since that time, I've walked the boardwalk out to the beach a number of times without much success. The Lot #7 beach is my regular sandpiper hotspot, but last weekend it was quiet. As the light was turning for the best, I decided to take a chance and head for Lot #6. My gamble really paid off -- a flock of 40 or so sanderlings were hanging out right at the end of the boardwalk, and they stayed with me until it was too dark to keep shooting.

View more photographs of sanderlings.

Sunset above the fog, Mount Tamalpais State Park

The last rays of golden light illuminate hillsides above the marine layer on Mt Tam

On my summer trip to Point Reyes, I included a single sunset in my schedule to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge, which I had hoped would be bathed in partial fog. I spent the afternoon photographing quail in Tennessee Valley and drove to the bridge for the golden hour. To my dismay, the entire scene was completely fogged in, enough that I couldn't even see the bridge from the first pullout on Conzelman Road. Instead of waiting for the slim chance that the fog might lift, I made a last-minute change of plans to get above the marine layer along the crest of Mount Tam. I ascended the mountain under heavy gray, and eventually burst into the warm colors of sunset as I drove for the pullouts on Ridgecrest Boulevard. I was pressed for time with the sun already close to the horizon, but what a sight to see the warm colors of sunset offset by the cool fog. It was breathtaking, and Marin yet again delivered another of my favorite experiences.

Trees frame a fairly tale scene above the fog

Dunlin feeding in front of the waves, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A dunlin probes the sand for a meal in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

It was mostly sanderlings feeding in front of the receding tide on my last trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, but this lone dunlin looked stately among the smaller sandpipers.

View more of my dunlin photography.

Sanderling searching for prey at sunset, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A sanderling looks for a meal as the late light drops to the horizon in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

On the last weekend in September I finally made it out to the coast for a fall trip to look for shorebirds. The Sandy Point State Reservation and Lot 7 area of Parker River National Wildlife Refuge did not disappoint, as there were plenty of sandpipers around. I spent the early evening with a group of resting peeps in the dunes, then got thoroughly soaked while working with a flock of sandpipers in the exposed flats of the ebbing tide. Pleasantly, the temperatures were unseasonably warm, so it was actually quite refreshing to be soaked to the bone in the wet sand. Regardless, it's always worth a wet drive home when you have a chance to share space with some friendly shorebirds!

View more of my sanderling photography.

Curious sanderling along Plymouth Beach

A sanderling cruising over rounded stones along Plymouth Beach, Massachusetts

Another image from my late spring shorebirding trips to Plymouth Beach. I really need to get back there soon!

View more of my sanderling photographs.

Dunlin preening at sunset, Plymouth Beach

A dunlin preens its feathers while bathed in the golden light of sunset on Plymouth Beach

On this early May trip to Plymouth Beach, I spent most of the late afternoon walking up and down the beach looking for cooperative shorebirds. They seemed to be opposed to staying in even smallish flocks for any substantial amount of time that day, and instead were feeding individually across the extensive exposed sediments. It was hard to find a place to set up to let the birds approach me, since predicting the path of an individual shorebird is nearly impossible. As the sun started getting low to the horizon, I thought I might have to head home without much on my memory cards. But then, a large flock of dunlin landed nearby -- and instead of feeding, they were preening and resting on a raised bar of sand. This bird stood alone on the edge of the flock as it preened its feathers before tucking in its bill for a nap.

View more photographs of dunlin.

Dunlin on the run, Plymouth Beach

A dunlin in late-spring plumage runs in front of a breaking wave on Plymouth Beach, Massachusetts

I had a really great series of spring trips to Plymouth Beach with plentiful spring shorebirds.This particular photo is from late-April, when the dunlin were just beginning to show signs of their summer colors.

View more of my photographs of dunlin.

Common tern at Sandy Point State Reservation

A common tern watching the sky at Sandy Point State Reservation in Massachusetts

In early August I took my first and only trip to Plum Island for the summer. I was hoping to catch the front end of the fall shorebird migration, and while I saw a fair number of sandpipers, the breeding colony of terns was the real highlight. In general, I find terns to be a tough bird to approach, even with my standard slow-motion belly crawl. On this day, however, I was lucky to find a small group of common terns that were rather indifferent to me and let me crawl close. Unfortunately, I was only able to enjoy a few short minutes of photographic excitement before a beach runner came jogging by and ended my fun.

A common tern follows the flight path of an overhead flock at Sandy Point State Reservation

View more of my photographs of terns.

Photographer's Assistant in Dog-Friendly Acadia National Park

"Dad, what are we doing here? Is this really why we woke up at 3:30 this morning?"

I had some assistance as I photographed the sun rising over the Schoodic Peninsula in my prior post. My dog usually gets left behind when I'm going out to do photography, but he participated in our entire trip to Acadia National Park -- and he had the time of his life!

My little helper, learning to appreciate the sunrise as much as I do

Acadia is a great destination to travel with a dog, as both the National Park itself and the surrounding towns are remarkably dog-friendly. Dogs are allowed on most of the trails in the park (with the exception of a few that are particularly difficult and unsafe for four-legged companions) and it was easy to find restaurants with outdoor dining areas that welcomed dogs. We were even able to bring him shopping with us in a variety of little shops in downtown Bar Harbor that had posted signs in their windows inviting dogs inside. Acadia is going to be a regular summer destination for us, and it's great to know that there is such a wonderful place to visit without having to leave a certain member of the family behind!

By the way, if anyone in the Boston area is looking to adopt a homeless pet, we had a great experience at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA a few years ago. The staff were really great with helping us to find an adult dog that fit our personality and lifestyle. Our dog has brought so much joy to us over the years, and there are many more at the shelter just like him who are looking for loving families!

Sun rising over the Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

The late summer sun rises over the Schoodic Peninsula as seen from the summit of Mount Cadillac

One of life's true simple pleasures is seeing the sunrise. This is especially true when you can witness the spectacle from a gorgeous location like the summit of Mount Cadillac in Acadia National Park. Even in mid-August, when we took this trip to Maine, the sun was still rising rather early (around 5:30). But as the colors filled the sky, and the warm golden-light broke the horizon above the Schoodic Peninsula, all sense of fatigue melted away and the excitement of the start of a new day filled its space.

View more landscape photography from Acadia National Park.

Pemetic Mountain rises above Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park

Looking south across Eagle Lake to Pemetic Mountain in Acadia National Park

On our first evening in Acadia National Park, we decided to take in the sunset at Eagle Lake. We hadn't done much scouting before the trip and ended up here just on a whim while looking at the park map. It was a lovely stroll along the carriage road on the northern edge of of the lake, with nice views of Pemetic Mountain and the Bubbles all along the way.

View more landscape photography from Acadia National Park

First rays of the sunrise on Mount Cadillac, Acadia National Park

The summer sun breaks above the horizon to start a new day in Acadia National Park

While our trip to Acadia National Park was not explicitly for photography, it's hard to be in such a beautiful place without wanting to take advantage of the golden hours. Seeing the sunrise from the summit of Mount Cadillac is something I would have wanted to do anyway -- it's not everyday that you get to be in the first place in the U.S. to witness the sunrise (well, at least it holds that distinction in the winter months) -- but it really is a "thing to do" there. While the photographers visiting Mt. Desert Island would surely be used to waking up at 3-something in the morning in order to reach their destination by sunrise, I was shocked at the number of visitors who lined the summit each morning. What surprised me more though was how quickly almost everyone jumped back into their cars only a few minutes after the sun had fully emerged from below the horizon.

View more landscapes from Acadia National Park.

Morning light illuminates granite, Acadia National Park

The golden rays of a mid-August sunrise cast a warm glow on the granite in Acadia National Park

My wife and I took a much needed final summer trip to Acadia National Park a few weeks ago. We've been wanting to see the park ever since moving to New England, and it did not disappoint! Two of our three mornings in the area we headed up to the summit of Mount Cadillac to catch the sunrise, which was a definite highlight of our time there. Acadia is certainly not a park to visit if you're hoping to photograph wildlife, but the landscapes are incredible. There's something very special about the mix of granite, water, trees, and sunshine on Mount Desert Island and I can't wait to return!

View more photographs from Acadia National Park

Dunlin catches a worm, Plymouth Beach

A dunlin prepares to eat a worm it just pulled from the sand along Plymouth Beach, Massachusetts

On a late spring trip to Plymouth Beach, I had the good fortune of watching a flock of dunlin feeding in front of the rising tide. While I've previously photographed dunlin catching clams on Plum Island, it was a new experience to see this one pull out a worm from the exposed sediments.

View more photographs of dunlin.

Submitted to Wild Bird Wednesday - follow the link for this weeks posts!

Tule elk with a vine on its antlers, Point Reyes National Seashore

A bull tule elk is lucky to have only vegetation wrapped around its antlers in Point Reyes National Seashore

This photo of a bull tule elk in Point Reyes National Seashore is back from a foggy morning in 2011. If you look carefully, you can see a long vine wrapped around the base of his antlers. This is rather common during the rutting season as bulls aggressively brush their antlers on the ground to pick up grasses to carry on their antlers. For some elk though, this can be quite dangerous if they get tangled in broken lines of barbed wire fencing lying on the ground.

This is a long introduction to refer you to a great write-up done by fellow Point Reyes photographer Jim Coda about the potentially (un)wildlife-friendly fencing practices in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Pronghorn portrait, Yellowstone National Park

A pronghorn chewing on its early morning breakfast in Yellowstone National Park

I've recently found myself reminiscing about the trip my wife and I took to Yellowstone National Park back in 2011. With the craziness of visiting the park while in the process of moving across the country, I never fully sorted and processed all of my photographs. While flipping through my archives recently I came across this portrait that was flagged as a pick but otherwise ignored. This pronghorn was a member of the herd that we saw almost every morning feeding near the Roosevelt Arch.

View more of my photographs of pronghorn in Yellowstone National Park.

Sparrow singing in the marsh, Point Reyes National Seashore

A song sparrow belts out its tune from the freshwater marsh along the Kehoe Beach Trail

I have written previously about spending a fair amount of time looking for song birds to photograph in the wildflowers along the trail to Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore, but one of my favorite images from the trip came from turning to the opposite side of the trail. It may not have the flashy colors of wildflowers, but I'm a sucker for marsh vegetation!

Browse more of my photographs of song birds.

Submitted to Wild Bird Wednesday -- follow the link to check out this week's posts!

Sanderling checking the wrack, Plymouth Beach

A sanderling checks the wrack for a snack along Plymouth Beach, Massachusetts.

In late April, I took an evening trip to Plymouth Beach to look for shorebirds to photograph. On the west coast, I had seen sandpipers already in their summer plumage by this time of year, so I was hopeful that I could find the same here in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the birds were only just starting to show some color, but I was treated to some very nice light as the setting sun cut through a break in the overcast clouds. The tide was rapidly rising at the same time, and this sanderling (Calidris alba) was frantically checking the wrack for something edible before the beach was covered again.

Browse more of my photos of sanderlings.

Sanderlings in a sandstorm, Plymouth Beach

A pair of sanderlings brace against blowing sand in a stiff wind on Plymouth Beach

It took me far too long to "discover" the shorebird haven that is Plymouth Beach. I had seen promising reports on eBird since moving to the area, but during my first two years in Massachusetts, I primarily went north to Plum Island when I was looking for shorebirds to photograph. Last March though, I finally made the drive south to Plymouth, and it very quickly became a favorite location. In the offseason (from October through March) the beach is even dog-friendly, and my wife and pup joined me for this trip. It was a bit unfortunate that the wind was whipping around the whole time, as my poor terrier got more than a little sand-blasted during the 6-mile plus round trip. Like these sanderlings though, he seemed no worse for the wear, as he hunkered down and leaned into the wind and blowing sand.

View more of my photos of sanderlings.

White-crowned sparrow in a sea of wildflowers, Point Reyes National Seashore

A white-crowned sparrow perched in the summer wildflowers along the Kehoe Beach Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, the Kehoe Beach Trail is one of my favorite places to look for wildlife hiding in the sea of wildflowers that line the trail. I generally don't target song birds when I'm out looking for wildlife to photograph, mostly because I find it can be rather challenging to get close enough to obtain a bird that is relatively large in the frame and unobstructed by branches and such. However, a setting like this is, in my opinion, a great place to leave a lot of space around the birds. I particularly liked the layering to the wildflowers in this frame, with the white flowers extending on tall stalks above the yellow blooms.

View more photos from the Kehoe Beach area in Point Reyes National Seashore.

California quail calling out, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

A California quail throws its head back in song along the Tennessee Valley Trail in the GGNRA.

For a long time, an image that was high on my wish list (at least of local opportunities) was a clean shot of a California quail in song. They’re already such interesting and charismatic birds, but it’s taken to another level when they throw their head back and call out toward the sky. During my time in California, I had a few fleeting opportunities to attempt a shot, but none of the images I produced quite met my expectations. On my recent trip to California though, I was finally able to capitalize. On one of my first mornings in Point Reyes, I photographed a female quail calling out from her fence post. She was not quite as exuberant about it as I might have preferred, but it still felt like I was putting a small checkmark on my list. Then, on my lone afternoon spent in the Marin Headlands, I came across this very loud male who was repeatedly calling out from his branch of coyote brush on a hillside above the Tennessee Valley Trail.

The same quail singing from his perch on an old branch of coyote brush.

This quail was dedicated to making sure the whole valley knew he was there, and this gave me the chance to fire off a lot of frames from a few different compositions. It was exciting to have the chance to mentally score a photo of a quail singing in such a great setting as well. Coyote brush is a bit more appealing than a standard fence post would have been – and the unique twisted branches he selected as a perch really added some great character to the scene.

Browse more of my photographs of California quail.

Submitted to Wild Bird Wednesday -- follow the link for this week's posts!

Sparrow singing on a curved branch, Point Reyes National Seashore

A white-crowned sparrow sings along the Abbott's Lagoon Trail in Point Reyes National Seashore.

While looking for songbirds to photograph on my recent trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, my primary objective was to capture them perched in front of wildflowers. Of course, it wasn't always possible to get a bright, colorful backdrop in each frame. I was drawn into this scene by the old, weathered branch of coyote brush that this white-crowned sparrow was perched on. Even better, a distant hillside provided a clean background of neutral colors for the shot as it started to sing. This otherwise drab bird provided its own splash of color though, flashing its green and orange leg bands.

Browse more of my photos of song birds.

Mule deer in the wildflowers, Point Reyes National Seashore

A mule deer hiding in the wildflowers along the trail to Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore.

The trail to Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore is one of my favorite places to photograph wildlife set against a backdrop of wildflowers. The hillside along the trail seems to explode in a wall of color, and the flowers conveniently grow all the way to eye level. In the past, I've photographed some song birds like this white-crowned sparrow set against the colorful backdrop, and I walked this trail a number of times on my recent trip looking for similar opportunities. As I was scanning for birds perched on the blooms, it was a delightful surprise to see these big ears and eyes staring back at me from behind the flowers. There was a slight breeze on this morning, so in many of my frames this lovely doe was distractingly obscured by the yellow blooms, but in this one, the flower stopped in the middle and gave a clean connection with her eyes.

View more photos from the trail to Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore.

White-crowned sparrow with a beak full of bugs, Point Reyes National Seashore

A white-crowned sparrow brings a beak full of bugs back to its young in Point Reyes National Seashore.

During my recent trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, I dedicated a fair amount of time to photographing song birds among the early summer wildflowers. The first stretch of the Tomales Point Trail was absolutely covered in colorful wild radish and the trail to Kehoe Beach was also lined with dense wildflowers. These shots were taken on the trail to Abbott's Lagoon, which doesn't have as high of a density of wildflowers, but the yellow bush lupine was in full bloom (and provides the splash of yellow in the background here).

A white-crowned sparrow looks around before returning to feed its young.

While I didn't see any nests, there were definite signs of young birds around with the parents bringing back beaks full of bugs. In the high-res version of these photos, you can clearly see that this sparrow returned with at least two grass hoppers crammed into its tiny beak. While on a much different scale, this behavior reminded me of seeing photographs of puffins returning to the cliffs with a mouthful of fish (definitely something on my lifetime photographic wishlist!).

View more photos of songbirds perched on wildflowers in my Song Birds Gallery.

Curious quail in focus, Point Reyes National Seashore

A California quail casts a curious glance at the photographer in Point Reyes National Seashore.

If you couldn't already guess from the banner on my blog, California quail are one of my favorite subjects to photograph, and Point Reyes National Seashore is a great place to get them in front of your lens. I photographed a bunch of quail on my recent trip there, and this was one of my favorite shots. Quail seem to have such personality, and the way that they turn their head in a curious glance cracks me up. For these shots, I was parked in the Abbott's Lagoon parking lot watching a few quail bouncing around the tops of coyote brush a bit further away, then out of the corner of my eye, I saw this guy pop up between the bushes to get a look at me. After slowing turning my lens toward it, it was exciting to see that it positioned itself behind another bush in a perfect way to provide a smooth out of focus foreground and background. 

An alternative view of the same quail after it moved higher on the coyote brush.

As he made his way to the top of the bush, the delightful bokeh effect started to disappear, but he posed there for a while providing some clean portrait opportunities too.

View more of my photographs of California quail.

Five days in Point Reyes National Seashore

An overcast sunset casts a pastel glow over the landscape at North Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore.

In June, I had the opportunity to take a trip to relax and focus on photography for a few days. It had been almost two years since I was last in California, so I decided to spend those 5 days photographing and hiking around my favorite park, Point Reyes National Seashore. While early June isn't necessarily what I would consider prime time for photography in Point Reyes, I had an exceptional trip and came back with a number of photographs that I’m rather excited about. The wildflowers were really putting on a show (especially the wild radish and yellow bush lupine), the tule elk were looking handsome in their summer velvet, quail were running around all over the place, and I even had a nice encounter with a bobcat.

It was a truly refreshing experience to be back in a place that I love so dearly and to have the chance to focus so much contiguous time on experiencing the park through photography. Each morning I rolled out of bed with the first light under the fog and spent as long as possible photographing wildlife under the overcast skies. Then as the harsh light of the midday sun finally broke through, I'd pack away my camera and head out for a long hike. I hit up a number of trails that I had never hiked on during my five years of frequenting the park while I was in California, so it was great to experience new aspects of an old friend. Then as the sun started dropping, or the fog started rolling back in, I'd start searching for wildlife again.

I came back with a ton of pictures which are partially sorted and processed so far. You can drop by my Point Reyes National Seashore Special Collections to see my new work as I upload it, and I'm hoping to post new images here on the blog with a regular rhythm over the coming weeks.

Semipalmated sandpiper reflection, Sandy Point State Reservation

I have a habit of keeping tons of images that I'll never do anything with. On my first pass after downloading the images from a trip, I'll delete anything that doesn't meet my standards for focus or sharpness. I'll mark images that have a particularly strong composition (flag with a "P" in Lightroom) to come back for another look, but I generally just let the normal images take up space on my disks and fill up my Lightroom catalogs. I basically make the argument that if it's sharp, perhaps I'll find a purpose for it later. I've really come to the realization though that there are tons of images I'll probably never look at again, and that I'll certainly never do anything with. So, I've started going through old folders and trimming out things that just don't meet a minimum level of compositional interest. It's kind of fun to re-experience old outings, and while my primary focus is cutting images, I've found a few diamonds in the rough that I had no idea were in there. This image of a semipalmated sandpiper and its reflection in the sand is one such example. I have no idea how this wasn't favorited when I took an initial pass through this folder, but I'm excited to find it again!

View my twenty favorite shorebird images in my Shorebirds Portfolio.

Dunlin in the dunes, Sandy Point State Reservation

A dunlin peers out from a depression in the sand behind the dunes at Sandy Point State Reservation on Plum Island, Massachusetts.

View more of my dunlin photographs.

Sanderling at sundown, Plymouth Beach

My most recent trip to Plymouth Beach was reminiscent of a California beach trip for me. I arrived a few hours before the sun was scheduled to set under clear blue skies. Then as I walked further along the beach, the beautiful high-level clouds started to move in. By the time I had reached what should have the "golden hour" I was sitting under delightful gray skies! A minor challenge was trying to find the right white balance under these conditions, but the dramatic skies provided some unique side lighting as this sanderling cruised along the round stones of the waterline.

See more in my Sanderlings Gallery.

Has it really been a year? Dunlin at Plymouth Beach

Well today marks an entire year since I last posted a new image here on my blog. That's far too long! While I haven't had as much time over the past twelve months to put into photography, I'm starting to get back into a groove. A trip to Hawaii last summer and some recent trips to local beaches have provided a bunch of images to share, and I still have plenty of unpublished images sitting in my archives just waiting for their turn.

This image of resting dunlin is from Plymouth Beach, which is my new favorite spot to look for shorebirds. It was exciting to see them starting to molt into their summer colors when I was out earlier this weekend.

View more photographs of dunlin.

Semiplamated plover, Sandy Point State Reservation

This shot was taken as the fading rays of the setting sun broke through an overcast sky in Sandy Point State Reservation last October. It won't be too long from now that the shorebird numbers will start increasing with the spring migration, and I hope to get out there to photograph them. Plum Island (which contains both the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Sandy Point State Reservation) gets red knots passing through each year -- and it's my goal to photograph one in their gorgeous spring colors.

View more of my photographs of plovers.

Spring is here! Wildflowers at Point Lobos State Reserve

Well, the first day of spring is finally here! I wouldn't know it from looking out my window at the over 6 inches of snow we got in the Boston area yesterday, but I am happy to have the longer days already. Spring is the time of flowers, and before this most recent snowfall, we did start to see them breaking through the earth around town. This shot is a field of summer wildflowers, mostly California Poppies, in Point Lobos State Reserve in Carmel, California.

Tip of the feather, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

As the flock of over 100 sandpipers ran across the sand, this sanderling paused for a moment to check its feathers -- all the way out to the tips.

View more photos of sanderlings.

Windblown tule elk at sunset, Point Reyes National Seashore

This is another selection from my Favorite Photographs of 2012 that I had not blogged about previously. The light was magical on this last evening of my September trip to California. I was watching this herd of tule elk along the road to Drake's Beach, but as the sun started creeping towards the horizon, I had plans to catch the sunset overlooking the Great Beach from the lighthouse. After capturing my planned images there (and nearly getting blown over in the process by those Point Reyes winds), I drove back to watch this grazing herd of tule elk in the fading pastels of dusk.

View more photos of tule elk in Point Reyes National Seashore.