Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Snowy egret searching for prey, Bunche Beach Preserve

Snowy egret searching for prey in a tidal pool in Florida

A snowy egret staring intently through the rising tide for prey below the surface at Bunche Beach Preserve in Florida.


Thursday, February 13, 2020

Plover parent sheltering its chick, Sandy Point State Reservation

Piping plover brooding young chick on the beach

This attentive piping plover parent was keeping close watch over its lone chick. It's wonderful to see these birds caring for their young, but a little sad to know that most broods start out with four hatchlings.


Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Flock of dunlin in flight, Plymouth Beach

Flock of dunlin in flight over the breaking waves at 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.


Sunday, February 9, 2020

Dunlin at rest, Plymouth Beach

Dunlin with transitional plumage resting on the 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.


Friday, February 7, 2020

Sanderling feeding in front of the flock, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Sanderling feeding in front of the flock at Parker River NWR

As I waited for the flock to approach where I was waiting in the sand, this is one of the first sanderlings to come close. A few minutes later the flock would come zooming by on all sides.