roosting peep

[John Chardine]

Numbers of Semipalmated Sandpipers are peaking in Johnson's Mills, upper Bay of Fundy, where this image was created today. We had about 75,000 and 100,000 yesterday. These birds are roosting on the beach at high tide. They are trying to save energy so that they can put on as much fat as possible over the shortest time, in preparation for their non-stop migration to South America. This flock was dispersed soon after the image was made by a peregrine falcon.

f9 was not quite sufficient to render the birds at the back or front in perfect focus but I think the effect is OK

Canon 40D, 500mm f4
Date: 15 August 2008, 12:03 pm
ISO 640
Shutter speed: 1/640
Aperture: f9

[Scott Grant]

what an incredible sight! the feeling i got from this photo is the same as the first time i laid eyes on Bird Rock at Cape St. Mary's on the south coast of the Avalon peninsula in Newfoundland.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Awesome John. What a sight to behold. Great capture !!!!

[Tell Dickinson]

Must have been an amazing experience John :)

Tell

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Quite a few birds. I've only seen this many roosting birds on Cape Cod.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Sure you represented what you wanted - for me a perfect way. OMG I wish I was there.:D
My all time favorites, the shorebirds... Great image. Send and photograph more if you can :)

Szimi

[Milo Burcham]

So the Copper River Delta does not have the corner on the market of large shorebird "matts" like this. Very nice shot and cool to see that they build up like this during fall migrations. We get very few in the fall

[John Hawkins]

This is cool..... Would make a great puzzle. Thanks for sharing. John

[John Chardine]

Sure you represented what you wanted - for me a perfect way. OMG I wish I was there.:D
My all time favorites, the shorebirds... Great image. Send and photograph more if you can :)

Szimi

I will! Gyorgy!

Please come and visit sometime- maybe 2009. The birds are here mid-August. I'm hoping Artie Morris may come next year too.

[Eleanor Kee Wellman]

This is definitely something I have to see!!! Next year, I hope!

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Wow, what a sight that must have been John. Cool image.

[Steve Canuel]

Neat photo John. It seems that most are facing the same direction. Is there a good reason for that (direction of sun/wind or to confuse preadtors maybe)? I like the colors and patterns BTW.
Steve

[Johnny Bravo]

Since we're supposed to critique, I'd have liked to see some different head angles on...oh...say...a dozen or so of those birds.

otoh, what a sight!

[John Chardine]

They are on the lookout for peregines and merlins all the time and point in the direction of the wind for a quick get-away. I have never seen them pointing in several directions at once.

[Steve Canuel]

Thanks for the reply John.

[Judd Patterson]

This is quite a view, John. An amazing concentration and well photographed!