Saturday, August 17, 2019

Piping plover chick, Sandy Point State Reservation

Piping plover chick at Sandy Point State Reservation, Massachusetts

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.


Friday, August 16, 2019

Pine trees and granite on Schoodic Head, Acadia National Park

Pine trees and granite near the summit of Schoodic Head in Acadia

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.

Islands in Frenchman Bay from Schoodic Head in Acadia National Park


Thursday, August 15, 2019

The Bubbles over Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park

Wildlife Photography by Pat Ulrich: Acadia National Park &emdash; Jordan Pond in 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!

Wildlife Photography by Pat Ulrich: Acadia National Park &emdash; Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park


Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Sandpipers bracing against wind blown sand, Plymouth Beach

Dunlin in blowing sand on the beach in Massachusetts

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.

Dunlin being pelted with blowing sand on the beach

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.

Shorebirds in a small sand storm on Plmouth Beach

Submitted to this week's Wild Bird Wednesday.



Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Take your rest, Sanderlings on Plymouth Beach

Two sanderlings resting with their feet in the sand 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.