A bull tule elk stands in a field of summer wildflowers in Point Reyes National Seashore
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
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.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Friday, November 7, 2014
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
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
Monday, November 3, 2014
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.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
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.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
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).
Friday, October 31, 2014
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.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
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
Friday, October 17, 2014
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.
Friday, October 10, 2014
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.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
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.
Friday, September 19, 2014
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.
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