Flock of dunlin in flight, Plymouth Beach

The coordinated flight of shorebirds is always fascinating to watch, often seeming as if they have the movements of single organism. Here, this small flock of dunlin were descending together toward the beach, all turned in the same direction.

Dunlin at rest, Plymouth Beach

I typically go to the North Shore of Massachusetts for my local shorebird photography, but heading south of Boston down to Plymouth can be very rewarding too. A few years ago I was fortunate to encounter a large flock of dunlin that were transitioning to their breeding plumage. We generally get to see them in their basic colors, so it was a treat to see the black belly-patch coming through.

Sandpipers bracing against wind blown sand, Plymouth Beach

I've written about this a few times before, but a windy day along the beach really shows how tough these sandpipers are to withstand the harsh conditions of their life on the coast. On this blustery day, the wind repeatedly blasted the shorebirds with sand as they attempted to rest.

In the photo above, the wind was just starting to rise and a few individual grains of sand are visible bouncing off of the face of the dunlin in the foreground. A few moments later, the gust picked up speed and the scene started to dissolve in a cloud of blowing sand. I found it interesting to observe how the birds would instinctively turn directly into the wind as they brace against it, which makes sense given that they are aerodynamic in flight.

Submitted to this week's Wild Bird Wednesday.

Take your rest, Sanderlings on Plymouth Beach

For as perfectly adapted to the coastal life as shorebirds are, it's interesting to see that even their feet can sink into the wet sand if they're stationary for long enough. This pair of sanderlings was part of a larger group that was resting on Plymouth Beach as the water receded.

Quiet evening along the coast, Plymouth Beach

I finally went out looking for shorebirds for the first time near home this year with a trip to Plymouth Beach last night. I saw on eBird that there were recent sightings of hundreds of dunlin there within the last week, which matched my experience last spring. Unfortunately, the shorebirds were no where to be found on my walk to the tip of the peninsula and back. Oh well though, the light was nice and the walk was pleasant -- and it just felt great to be outside breathing in the coastal air again.

The shot above is from a trip to Plymouth Beach that I took at the start of May 2014. It was another outing where I didn't see a ton on my walk out, but as the sun was dropping close to the horizon I met a small flock of dunlin that were preening and resting in the fading light.

View more of my dunlin 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.

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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.

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.

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

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.