Wilson's Plover running in the surf.

[Bob Blanchard]

Captured yesterday morning at Little Estero. I liked the foot position in this one.

Canon 50D, 300mm f/4L, f/4, ISO 200, 1/3200, hand held lying in the wet sand.
http://catcheroflight.smugmug.com/photos/470202447_S5aDF-X3.jpg

[Don Thompson]

Nice picture Bob. Exposure looks perfect, nice soft background and I agree with you on the foot position.

[Ramon M. Casares]

Great low angle, stunning light, running pose is perfect as well as eye contact and comp. simply one terrific shot! Congratulations!

[Adams Serra]

Hi Bob,
Very nice light and low angle. Not sure about the bird ID.

Adams

[Bob Blanchard]

Hi Bob,
Very nice light and low angle. Not sure about the bird ID.

Adams

You may be right. It looks like it may be a Piping Plover (leg color). Beak doesn't look right for a Semipalm to me (usually a yellow base), but could be I guess. Perhaps a Juvi? Hopefully, Artie will chime in here, as he's got these fellows down cold.

[Steve Maxson]

Love the sharpness, the running pose, the low angle, and the clean background, Bob. Very well done. I'm not certain of the species except to say that it is not a Wilson's Plover. :) A Wilson's plover has a much more robust and distinctive beak. This is either a rather dark-plumaged Piping Plover or a rather light-plumaged first year semipalmated plover. If you look at Sibley's book, the case can be made that it is a Piping Plover, but if you check the National Geographic book, the case can be made for a semipalmated plover. Maybe some other folks want to weigh in on this one??

[Marina Scarr]

This is a great capture, and I believe that it is a Piping Plover. These birds are very quick on their feet and not easy to capture, so you did well here with the low angle and capturing the action.

[Bob Blanchard]

I think it may indeed be a Piping. Here's my best reasoning: I looked back through the series and noticed that all of them had the same beak, but more importantly....several were sporting the excessive banding typically found on endangered species:

http://catcheroflight.smugmug.com/photos/470968168_PC8Az-XL.jpg

All I know is that this is awfully close to a Semipalm, but the beak is throwing me off. I'm just not sure.

[Jasper Doest]

Nice one Bob...I really like the low angle and sense of speed here.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Bob. Your second bird looks like a Piping Plover to me and I agree about the bands. It is a little bit lighter on the back than your first image, but this could be due to the light and the way the image was processed to control exposure on the whites, for example. After looking at some of my own images of winter plumage Piping Plovers, I think you would be pretty safe in calling you first image a Piper.

[Declan Troy]

Be sure to report color-banded shorebirds like the one in the second image to:

http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/nwrc-cnrf/default.asp?lang=En&n=CA9EA2C5-1&offset=1&toc=show

(or google PASP shoerbirds and follow the links (National Wildlife Research Centre-Pan American Shorebird Proctocol, then how to report color banded shorebirds).

[Judd Patterson]

Absolutely a Piping Plover in winter plumage. I love the detail and the mid-stride pose. Excellent work!

[Jon Thornton]

I love the raised foot. Well done.

[Blake Shadle]

Definitely a Piping Plover. I love those little fluffy guys. Very nice image, Bob. Good work on the exposure. You could probably guess that I really like the perspective ;)

[Bob Blanchard]

Hey all,

I sent in the image of the banded one to PASP, and the Army Corps of Engineers responded to me today. Kinda cool to get some history on our guests who are passing through here! At the time I sent this to them, I was still unsure of the ID.

I "xxx'd" out the last names and e-mail addresses for obvious privacy reasons. I just thought it nice that they took the time to respond! For any of you South Dakota folks, this may be a good photography spot!

"Dear Bob,

Lesley Anne xxxx forwarded your report and picture to me. The plover you saw is a piping plover and the green flag on the upper left leg is a regional marker for piping plovers banded on the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam. Gavins Point is located on the northeast Nebraska southeast South Dakota border about five miles upriver from Yankton SD. The plover was banded by researchers from the Viginia Polytechnic Institute who are studying piping plover use of sandbars constructed by the Corps of Engineers to provide nesting habitat for piping plovers and least terns. I will forward your report to the VPI researchers and they should be able to provide you with additional information as to when and where the plover was banded and any life history they have on the bird. The plovers began arriving at Gavins Point last week. The plovers should begin nest initiation by next week and continue on through May and June. Thank you for your report.
<O:p
Greg xxxxx
Wildlife Biologist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
<O:p
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxx,Lesley-Anne [NCR] [mailto:Lesley-xxxx@xxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:57 AM
To: xxxx,Lesley-Anne [NCR]
Subject: Emailing: xxxxxxxx
<O:p
Name: Bob Blanchard
E-mail: bob.blanchard@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Reporting a Banded Shorebird
Message: I'm a nature photographer, and captured the following plover on Sunday, February 8th at about 9 AM at Little Estero Lagoon (Fort Myers Beach) in Fort Myers Florida. I'm not sure if it's a Piping Plover, or a Semipalmated Plover. A link to the photograph of the banded bird:"