The shorebird Fall migration started a couple of weeks ago with some reports of migrants trickling in, but shorebird Fall migration PHOTOGRAPHY has now officially begun with a great morning photographing lots of indi viduals!! Lying in the muck I was just surrounded by shorebirds, it felt amazing being "part" of the flock! Hopefully next time I'll get sunny skies and blue water, but the overcast conditions had me photographing until well past noon. Lots of small growth vegetation in the shallow water, making it fun to try to get some into the frame with the subjects.
Here's a beautiful and fresh plumaged juvenile Least Sandpiper to start off things...
Canon 7D + 100-400L @330mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/320s., f/6.3, ISO 800 (settings histogram checked), FF excpet for the corners cropped off after rotation (I guess one elbow sunk lower in the mud than the other!).
Beautiful image Daniel - Great perspective and I really like the high-key look of it. Exposure looks spot on - great highlight detail in what looks to be flat light. Well done.
What a wonderful situation, it must be nice to feel part of a flock. The weather is not been your best friend but this image look really fine. Amazing low angle with very nice detailed juvenile plumage. Pleasing the high key tones.
Beautifully composed image, Daniel, - the soft light has enabled good detail in the lovely fresh juvenile plumage. Great use of the intimate low angle and inclusion of habitat vegetation, well worth getting mucky for!
Hi Dan, getting dirty has paid off nicely with this angle, and just love the soft light and pastel colours. I like the hint of the reflected legs in the FG.
Doug, no camo. I just lay down in the mud and wait for them to walk and forage closer to me. They think of me as part of the scenery :-) Some come so close that they are well within my lens' 6 foot MFD. Last year a phalarope poked its' bill inside my lens hood, presumably to look at its' reflection! Lots of fun!
Excellent capture Daniel, love the bright soft light, low pov & the bit of vegetation in a nice composition full-framed. I know exactly what ypu mean by "the fun, & part of the flock". I love laying in the muck with shorbirds as well as waterfowl, grebes & waders. I too many times get suprised by how close they come to minimum focus distance (I use the same camera/ lens combo). Laying down & still I've come across all kinds of curious passer-by's, even minks, rabbits, snakes ect. It's awesome like being invisible, or even accepted and those are blessed moments to me.
PA Fortin says
And the answer is simple: no camouflage. Just very good knowledge of the birds behavior, of the spots, and alot of patience.
[And very very good elbows and neck]
Couldn't agree with ya more on all counts.
I use elbow pads now after a few painfiul outings, and always have my Bean boots or waders in my Jeep:)
Least Sandpiper, Fresh Juvenile.
Lying in the muck I was just surrounded by shorebirds, it felt amazing being "part" of the flock! Hopefully next time I'll get sunny skies and blue water, but the overcast conditions had me photographing until well past noon. Lots of small growth vegetation in the shallow water, making it fun to try to get some into the frame with the subjects.
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Originally Posted by Doug Brown
