Favorite Photos from 2019

My photographic productivity this year was constrained to the summer and early fall. While the number of trips was limited the quality was great, and I had a lot of luck finding shorebirds during the summer breeding season and fall migration through Massachusetts. My encounters with the piping plover chicks made it a fun challenge to parse down my list of 2019 favorites, and I tried not to let them dominate my selections. My ten favorites from the year are below, in no particular order.

Thanks as always to Jim Goldstein for his inspiration each year to compile my list of favorites for his annual blog project.


Piping plover chick ready to brood, Sandy Point State Reservation
The moments of interaction between a parent and its young is such a special thing to witness. Here, a young plover chick is approaching its mother to warm up under her feathers.

Sanderling at the edge of the flock, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
When photographing shorebirds, I generally find myself trying to isolate an individual bird away from the clutter of the flock. It's a fun challenge to incorporate other birds in the background, and nice when it adds to the composition.

Consolation prize, Sunrise sliding down Sargent Mountain in Acadia National Park
I had forgotten how crazy the summit of Cadillac Mountain can be for a summer sunrise, and arrived too late to get a spot in the lot on this August morning. I drove to the overflow lot down the road, and instead of joining the huge crowd looking east, I stayed on the western slope and had this view over Eagle Lake to myself.

Least tern chick at sunrise, Sandy Point State Reservation
A tender moment between parent and chick as they waited for the other parent to return with a fish.

Piping plover chick, Sandy Point State Reservation
Pulling off a portrait of a tiny piping plover chick would be a real challenge if they weren't so delightfully curious. I'm always amazed at how close they'll come if you're lying still in the sand.

Brooding piping plovers, Sandy Point State Reservation
There's something special about seeing a parent caring for its chicks, and I love to photograph piping plovers brooding their little ones.

Semipalmated sandpiper, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
I'm a sucker for head-on shots of shorebirds, and nailing the focus on the eyes of a moving target creates a fun (or frustrating?) challenge.

Room for one more? Piping plovers at Sandy Point
This photo is one frame from my favorite series from the summer, where four large chicks attempt to brood under their father at the same time.

Dramatic sunrise light, Sanderling at Parker River NWR
The high tides on this particular morning offered a non-traditional lighting for my style of shorebird photography. As this sanderling came very close to my position, I attempted to maximize the warm tones of this dramatic sidelight.

Piping plover chick at sunrise, Sandy Point State Reservation
It's easy to forget about the 3:30am wakeup call when you find yourself taking portraits of an adorable chick blanketed in the warm golden tones of a mid-summer sunrise!

Thanks for viewing my favorites photographs from 2019! If you've enjoyed them, feel free to check out my previous favorites from 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009. All the best to you and yours in 2020!

Pied-billed grebes in the marsh, Coyote Hills Regional Park

I believe this 2011 trip to Coyote Hills Regional Park is the only opportunity I've had to photograph pied-billed grebes. As I recall, I encountered them while crossing a boardwalk over the open water in the marsh. Thankfully the water management had the marsh at its high water mark, so it was possible to get reasonably close to eye-level when I went prone on the platform. I enjoyed the chance to spend a few brief moments with this adorable pair before they slipped back into the vegetation.

Black phoebe on cattails, Coyote Hills Regional Park

From the same lost trip in the archives as my previous post, here's a black phoebe perched on cattails in Coyote Hills Regional Park in California. It's hard to beat a morning spent in a wetland, but I had an impression that there was nothing to show from this particular trip to the South Bay and had often overlooked this folder. This past summer I was digging around a little bit in my archives and came across a few keepers buried in the wrack. A heavy evening fog had settled over the bay, casting a nice even light over the marsh.

Female red-winged blackbird on cattails, Coyote Hills Regional Park

I'm fortunate to have a handful of lovely cattail marshes along my daily commute, and its been wonderful to see them surrounded by beautiful autumn foliage recently. I haven't had an opportunity to attempt to capture their beauty, but it's made me think of the many times I went out looking for birds in the wetlands around San Francisco Bay when I lived in California. This particular trip to Coyote Hills Regional park was largely ignored on my hard drive, so it's nice to pull a few images out. Here's a lovely female red-winged black bird perched on some early spring cattails in the freshwater marsh.

Sanderling dance moves, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

A cool thing about photography is how it can capture a single moment and give it meaning beyond what you may have noticed in real time. Here, a simple change in the direction this sanderling was running added a lot of life ot the frame -- giving the illusion of a sanderling dancing across the beach.

Semipalmated sandpiper with prey, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

It was fun to watch this small flock of semipalmated sandpipers rapidly work over the wet sand left behind by the receding tide along the Lot 6 beach in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The pace they were moving up the beach suggested that there wasn't much left to feed on, but this sandpiper found what appears to be a small worm, which was quickly swallowed.

Seeking shelter on the tidal flats, Piping plovers at Sandy Point

I had a lot of fun watching this family of piping plovers on my first trip to Sandy Point State Reservation for the summer breeding season. I initially encountered them along the dunes, but eventually some of the chicks decided to explore the expansive tidal flats of a very low tide. The patterns in the sand left behind by the receding water made for a unique setting to photograph them as they sought refuge under their father's wing.

Least tern chick receives a fish, Sandy Point State Reservation

On my mid-summer trips to see the breeding birds at Sandy Point State Reservation, I was almost always focused on the piping plovers running around the beach. There is a colony of least terns there as well, and when a family chose to stay near the ropes, a large crowd of photographers tended to form near them each time I visited. I spent the first light of one trip focused on terns, and it was easy to see why there is a such a draw to them. Unlike the piping plovers, which are in constant motion and responsible for feeding themselves, the terns are much more stationary and you have a chance to witness the tender moments of a parent bringing prey back to the little ones.

For a while, the chick was snuggled with its other parent on the sand. At some point it must have heard the call of this parent returning, because it leapt to its feet and started running around excitedly. Then its parent flew into the frame and handed off a rather large fish. Unfortunately, I was zoomed in a bit too tight and clipped the tips of the wings, but it was a great moment to witness!

Shared with this week's Wild Bird Wednesday

Piping plover chick in the spotlight, Sandy Point State Reservation

Warm sunrise light with just enough high clouds in the sky came together to illuminate this young piping plover chick while it was exploring the beach at Sandy Point State Reservation.

Piping plover family in the rain, Sandy Point State Reservation

The dreary last few days in the Boston area reminds me of my first trip this summer to see the piping plover chicks at Sandy Point State Reservation. There were dull-gray skies with off and on drizzle, but it was great to spend some time watching this piping plover family. In this frame, two chicks are already under their parent, and it's pretty clear the third wants to get out of the rain as well.

Sanderling at the edge of the flock, Parker River NWR

Getting an isolated image of a single sandpiper at the edge of the flock is always a rewarding experience and makes for a nice clean shot. But it's also a fun challenge to try to aim into the center of the frenetic sandpiper activity and come away with a pleasing composition. I certainly had to dump a fair number of images due to birds cruising in and out of the frame, but occasionally the pieces come together and it's possible to get a strong foreground subject with interesting depth provided by the flock.

Northern harrier on the prowl, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

This lovely northern harrier caught my eye as it danced above the salt marsh near the entrance to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. After a successful morning with sandpipers, I wasn't necessarily looking for serious photographic opportunities, but its near-range acrobatics were worth pulling the car over for. I didn't have my binoculars along, so I used my telephoto to watch her flight. I fired off a few shots when she turned to face my direction, and this one came out surprisingly sharp. She steadily worked her way past my location, and when she was quite a way behind me, I saw her take a dive into the marsh. She didn't pop back up immediately, so I hope she came away with a meal.

Preening sandpipers, Sandy Point State Reservation

One of the pleasures of watching wildlife is when they are totally indifferent to your presence. After slowly approaching a large flock of sandpipers resting on the beach, the shorebirds simply went about their morning business. This pair of semipalmated sandpipers was near the front of the group, with one napping while the other preened its feathers.

Sanderling and reflection, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

I took a long walk on the beach before finally reaching a mid-sized flock of sanderlings feeding in front of the rising tide. The group was fast-moving and active, so it was a bit of a challenge to get clean shots. I spent some time pointing my lens right into the heart of the action, but I also attempted to isolate a few birds when they stepped to the edges of the main group.

Sanderlings feeding ahead of the waves, Parker River NWR

A classic sandpiper pose -- break probing the sand with a shallow wave chasing them from behind. I love the rhythm of these birds and the waves as they feed, melodically cruising back and forth. It was particularly helpful on this morning along the Lot 6 beach in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge as well. With the autumn sun rising due east, I had to turn sideways to the gently breaking waves to have any shot at reasonable light on the birds. This meant that I occasionally got splashed, but when the birds really started running, it was a helpful sign that I needed to elevate my camera off the sand a few moments later. Fun times!

Roosting semipalmated sandpiper, Sandy Point State Reservation

High tide was right around sunrise on this September morning, and after following a small flock of sanderlings feeding along the beach at first light, I decided to walk to the tip of Sandy Point State Reservation. With so much of the tidal flats submerged below the tide, I figured there was a reasonable chance the shorebirds would be roosting somewhere on the beach. Sure enough, I didn't get too far down the beach before spotting the first group of semipalmated plovers at the edge of a larger flock of mixed shorebirds. I slowly belly-crawled my way into their presence and enjoyed watching the flock rest and preen, including this semipalmated sandpiper.

Sanderling at sunrise, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

There was a chill in the air for this September sunrise on Plum Island, an early sign that fall is on the way. The flock of sanderlings I was watching along the Lot 7 beach was busy looking for breakfast before the rising tide covered the beach. In the brief moments when a bird would stop amidst the action, the feathers would puff out just a bit against the cool morning air -- giving this one a nice plump shape.

Sanderling silhouette at sunrise, Parker River NWR

On my most recent trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge I was predominantly focused on capturing some dramatic side-lighting on some sanderlings when they ventured away from the waves and up the beach to where I was positioned. But still, I couldn't help but try at least a few times to turn my lens toward the water and the rising sun. Most of the frames I came home with didn't catch my eye, but these two stood out with the interesting circular patterns in the bokeh.

Dramatic sunrise light, Sanderling at Parker River NWR

An early morning trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge paid off immediately as I encountered a moderately-sized flock of sanderlings as soon as I crossed the trail through the dunes from the Lot 7 parking lot. Sunrise is my favorite time of day, especially for photography, but it does provide some challenges when trying to capture sandpipers chasing the waves on the main beach of the refuge. Sunrise is great during the summer breeding season at Sandy Point State Reservation as I'm generally aiming toward the beach with the rising sun at my back. But working with this flock of sanderlings that was focused on finding food in the moments between breaking waves offered a much different take on early morning light. Knowing that I couldn't get full portraits in warm light with the birds keeping close the water, I tried to work a more dramatic look of warm side-lighting contrasting against cool morning shadows.

Leaning in, Semipalmated sandpiper at Parker River NWR

I read an article recently about photographing wildlife at local parks. It included a thought that resonated with me about looking for a dynamic behavioral moment that can make even a common animal seem more interesting. I tend to find sandpipers fascinating regardless of what they are doing, but as this semipalmated sandpiper slightly changed directions and shifted its weight to the right, its lean added a bit of extra interest to this frame.

First light on Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

Even with the large crowds, it is a pleasure to watch the sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. In processing this image, I applied a digital graduated filter and also used the dust spot removal tool to clone out two people who stepped into view.

Consolation prize, Sunrise sliding down Sargent Mountain

Every year I've gone to Acadia National Park I've been surprised by the sunrise crowd on the summmit of Cadillac Mountain. This year, I thought I was prepared for it and arrived at the summit 25 minutes before sunrise. Well, by this time the parking lot was already a zoo with no spots, and people were scrambling to cram their cars along the road. I passed through the lot and went down to the Blue Hills Overlook (which was already getting crowded). I had time to take the short walk to the summit, but instead decided to skip the crowd and wandered down the western slope overlooking Eagle Lake. Not a single other person made the same decision and I had the entire area to myself. Sure, I didn't see the first light of the day arrive on the horizon, but instead I was treated to the sunrise slipping down the eastern face of Sargent Mountain. It started as just a hint of warmth as the sun rose above Cadillac's summit, ending with the shadow of the mountain crossing the width of Eagle Lake. Not at all what I had envisioned when I left in the morning, but a delightful way to start my day. I returned to Cadillac's summit later in my trip -- a full 50 minutes early this time -- and was able to get a spot for the more traditional sunrise.

Striding dunlin, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

This dunlin stood out in a group of mostly sanderlings on a fall visit to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge a few years ago. This was one of the first trips where I was experimenting with taking my camera off of a ground-level tripod to get an even lower perspective. The difference of only a few inches of vertical (from the top of a ballhead to the lens footplate resting on the ground) made a noticeable difference in my images, and I've never gone back.

Semipalmated sandpiper, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

The small flock of semipalmated sandpipers I was spending time with on this August morning were in constant motion. Both rapidly probing the sand and steadily cruising down the beach. This bird thankfully paused for just long enough to give me a nice pose with two tiny droplets of water falling from its bill.

Two extra legs and a long shadow, Sandy Point State Reservation

It was nice to watch this parent piping plover watch over its young chick on the beach at Sandy Point State Reservation, though it was also a little bittersweet. Piping plovers generally hatch four chicks with each brood, and this pair of parents had only this one left. I can only imagine how tough it must be to keep such a tiny family of chicks safe in that environment. But it was inspiring to see a bunch of piping plover fledglings roaming the beach when I returned in early August.

Piping plover chick in morning light, Sandy Point State Reservation

This curious piping plover chick quickly came close to check me out when I arrived on the beach on this July morning. The sun had just risen above the Atlantic, but we were still in the shadow of the small hill at Sandy Point State Reservation, lending both a warmth and coolness to the morning light. After giving me a once over from its tall pose, the chick quickly returned to its business of scouring the beach for tiny prey.

Sanderling feeding in evening light, Parker River NWR

The sun had dropped below the dunes but was still high enough to cast its beautiful pastel colors over the scene as a flock of sanderlings went through their evening routines in Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the birds were preening and napping, but this lone sanderling was slowly moving through a shallow tidal pool looking for a snack.

Rutting tule elk on Tomales Point, Point Reyes National Seashore

This bull tule elk was protecting a small harem of females on Tomales Point in Point Reyes National Seashore. Hiking out the Tomales Point trail during the August rut is great fun, but during this particular summer this herd was regularly hanging out near the end of the road as you descend toward the Pierce Ranch parking lot.

There was a lot of elk activity in the area and this bull seemed to be in constant motion -- smelling the air like in the top frame, or bugling loudly down the valley in the one above.

The high levels of hormones also had him aggressively showing off, including roughing up the lupine and grasses of the coastal scrub before loudly bugling again.

Dominant bull tule elk, Point Reyes National Seashore

The sound of a bugling tule elk in the rut is truly spectacular. This large dominant bull, the same individual I included in my post yesterday, was keeping close tabs on his harem and bugling regularly and loudly on this August morning in 2011.

It was awesome to observe and hear this behavior from close range along the road down to Drake's Beach. Especially as he let out one of his long, loud calls and you could hear it echo down the valleys -- often eliciting a response from a rival.

Tule elk rut in Point Reyes National Seashore

August was always a fun time to be in Point Reyes National Seashore, as the tule elk rut was kicking into high gear. This large bull was king of his harem along the road to Drake's Beach in 2011. On multiple occasions that summer I had a chance to watch him protect his herd and respond to the bugles of rival bulls from across the valleys. His large palmated antlers were a distinguishing feature, but the identification was even easier since he walked with an obvious limp. I'd be curious to know if he was able to hold his throne again in future years and when his reign came to an end.

Piping plover chick, Sandy Point State Reservation

A young piping plover chick pauses for a moment and gives me a nice profile view while exploring the beach at Sandy Point State Reservation.

Pine trees and granite on Schoodic Head, Acadia National Park

On a trip to Acadia a few years ago we drove over to the much quieter side of the park on the Schoodic Peninsula. We did the nice little trail up Schoodic Head, which offered some great views back across Frenchman Bay of Mount Desert Island. For as centered as we normally are around Cadillac Mountain while we're in the park, it was fun to see it from across the water.

The Bubbles over Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park

This lovely pair of mountains are an iconic view in Acadia National Park as they rise over Jordan Pond. This particular hike around the lake was under heavily overcast skies, giving an even more serene feel to the still water. Looking back at these images is making me hungry for popovers and strawberry jam!