Among the shorebirds I enjoyed seeing and photographing while I lived in Florida were Whimbrels, I could see flocks of 25 or more during the winter along the coast. There had been rough waves the day before I photographed this Whimbrel which pushed floating mats of seaweed up close to the shore of the Gulf of Mexico, the Whimbrels were feeding on small crabs that were in the seaweed.
I know that Whimbrels do show up here in Utah during their migration north but I have yet to be able to get close enough to photograph them. Whimbrels breed in northern Arctic regions and can live up to 1 years. They are similar in appearance to Long-billed Curlews that I often photograph here and in Montana but bill length helps with ID. The curve of their bills matches the curve of the burrows of Fiddler Crabs, their favorite prey item.
Mia
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Blue-eyed Grass – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/400, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
Last week I was Thinking Pink so this week I thought I would focus on the shades of blues found in wildflowers, birds, the sky and seas. Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchiumangustifolium) is one of my favorite blue wildflowers from the eastern United States. Blue-eyed Grass isn’t actually a grass at all, it is from the Iris family and may have gotten the “Grass” part of its name because the leaves are very thin and grass-like. I found and photographed this beauty under the pines of the Osprey Trail at Honeymoon Island State Park in Florida.
Great Blue Heron in the Gulf of Mexico – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 230mm, natural light
It seems to me that Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) are misnamed because they are more gray than they are blue, in fact when I see a Great Blue Heron posted on line that is very blue I scratch my head because they really aren’t that blue. I photographed this Great Blue Heron as it walked along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico at Fort De Soto’s north beach in Florida.
Little Blue Heron stalking prey in a tidal lagoon – Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 360mm, natural light
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) adults are more blue than Great Blue Herons, at least from the base of the neck to their tails, their necks have a reddish cast to them. I was sitting in the lagoon with the Little Blue Heron approached me while it was stalking and hunting prey at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida.
Male Lazuli Bunting – Nikon D200, f8, 1/500, ISO 250, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
Male Lazuli Buntings (Passerina amoena) have a gorgeous azure blue head as well as some blue on other parts of their bodies. The word “lazuli” come from the semi-precious gemstone Lapis Lazuli which comes in various shades of blue with gold colored specks. I photographed this Lazuli Bunting in the San Rafael area of Utah and the background is the color of sandstone found in that area.
Mountain Bluebird - Nikon D200, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4 TC at 400mm, natural light
Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) are one of the bluest bird species I have photographed, especially the males. I didn’t add any color saturation to this image at all, this is how blue the bird looked in the light conditions I had at the time I took this image at Red Rock lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. The males during the breeding season are a rich, vibrant blue.
Blue skies at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana – Nikon D200, handheld, f20, 1/160, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 18-200mm VR at 18mm, natural light
Some of the bluest skies I have ever seen have been at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana where on a clear (or not so clear) day you can see for miles & miles. I loved how this wave of clouds fanned out in this frame and added a nice contrast to the blue tones in the sky.
Amazing blues of Magens Bay, Saint Thomas, USVI – No techs, this is a panorama made from several images that were joined together
The colors of the seas and oceans have always drawn me to water because they can vary from the palest aquamarine to deep royal blues and everything in between. Magens Bay in Saint Thomas and the Atlantic Ocean beyond it give this image wonderful shades of blue that I find very soothing and it brings back nice memories of my stay on the island.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) on the sand Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1500, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
Even in February Florida can be fairly warm, it was on the day I photographed these Whimbrels, in fact I was very glad I brought an extra bottle of frozen water. I had decided earlier on the drive to Honeymoon Island that I would walk north on the beach until I reached the nothernmost tip of Honeymoon Island State Park first instead of walking the Osprey Trail that goes through the woods. I had heard there was a flock of 20+ Whimbrels that were being seen near the north tip and I hoped to see and photograph them.
I think it is about a 3 mile walk though going through that soft sand with your feet sinking in, it does feel a bit father than that.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) with a tiny crab Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f7.1, 1/640, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
As I walked towards the north tip of the beach I watched Bottle-nosed Dolphins swimming in the low waves that were only perhaps only 30 feet from the shore, there is just something I find very soothing about seeing the dolphins break the surface of the water, they are so graceful. Birds in the sky included Ospreys, Ring-billed and Laughing Gulls and some of the tern species found along the coast of Florida in the winter. There were Ruddy Turnstones, Wilson’s Plovers, Sanderlings and a few Least Sandpipers scurrying long the shoreline looking for prey. I was also able to see a few Yellow-crowned Night Herons prowling along the sandy beach, looking for Ghost Crabs I am certain.
Even though I knew there was a possibility that the Whimbrels had moved on or wouldn’t be seen I was determined to enjoy the long walk and absorb all that I was viewing every moment of the hike up the beach. Other people were wandering along the beach too but they also seemed absorbed in the beautiful views, the sound of the water gently lapping the shoreline and the nice sea breeze.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in flight over the Gulf of Mexico Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
Just before I reached the north tip of the beach, I saw them. The Whimbrels were still there. It didn’t take long for me to check my ISO, my aperture and other techs as I dropped onto my knees before laying flat on my belly to photograph the flock of 20 or so Whimbrels as they searched for prey in a long, floating mat of seaweed that was just at the edge of the shore. A few of the Whimbrels were up higher on the wrack line poking into the vegetation there. I crawled slowly through the sand to get closer to the birds, stopping each time they showed any alarm.
I was delighted to have them all to myself.
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), face on Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm at 330mm, natural light
I stayed with the Whimbrels for about an hour, taking hundreds of images of the birds. I was really in my element and felt priviledged to be in the birds element too. About that time a group of people walked through the flock and soon as that happened the birds scattered and took flight. By then the sun was high and the light was getting contrasty so I headed back towards the parking lot to my Jeep with the heating of the sun beating down on me. I’m almost certain that I had a goofy but highly satisfied grin on my face.
Those Whimbrels and the other birds, the views, the white sand plus the inviting water that I cooled my feet and legs with all combined to create great moments that I will never forget.
Yes, I am addicted to bird photography but all the other bits of nature that go with it are quite awesome too.
Winter plumage Sanderling (Calidris alba) on a Penn Shell Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/800, ISO 320, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
Sanderlings are little shorebirds that are found high in the Arctic tundra during breeding season and during the winter they can be found on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts from Canada to Argentina, during migration they can also be found inland on the banks of rivers and the shorelines of lakes.
Sanderlings feed by following waves to capture any small creatures that may have been left by the receding water then as soon as a wave starts to come into the shoreline the sanderlings scramble to keep ahead of the incoming water. It is amusing to watch these frenetic shorebirds as they dash back and forth. They must burn up a lot of calories!
In the image above the Sanderling came across a Penn shell (I always called them Turkey Wings) that had been washed up on the shore by a storm the day before and was pecking away at something I couldn’t see on the tissue that had extruded from the shell.
Sanderling feeding Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 70-300mm at 300mm, natural light
When photographing shorebirds I like to get down to their level which usually means flopping down on my stomach and holding the lens close to the ground while being very careful to protect the camera and lens from the damage that sand or water could cause. I feel the by being at this low of an angle that I am in the bird’s “world”. In my opinion it is a rather neat feeling to be at eye level with such a small bird.
When I plan on getting “down & dirty” while photographing I usually always carry along a change of clothes because I just never knew how I would smell after laying in the damp sand or ground.
Breeding plumage adult Sanderling Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/1000, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
Sanderlings in breeding plumage are colorful with rich browns and warm rufous colors that contrast very nicely against the clean white of their chest and stomach. The head and neck also become more vibrant. Personally I find all the plumage phases of Sanderlings appealing.
Sanderlings can be a challenge to photograph because they move erratically at a very fast pace but creating images of them at their level is well worth the trouble of getting dirty and being exhausted by trying to follow the movements of these tiny dynamos. Just keep the shutter speed up!
Ghost Crab – Feeling Crabby? D200, handheld, f9, 1/800, ISO 200, 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
This Ghost Crab(Ocypode quadrata) image was taken on the Gulf coast of Florida while I still lived there. Quite often people miss seeing them because they blend with the color of the sand so well and they can scurry down their holes very quickly. Crabs can move in all directions but they usually move sideways. Crabs are from the order Decapoda and they all have ten legs. Ghost Crabs breathe through gills, so they do have to return to the seawater to wet the gills. They also release thier eggs into the salt water which then develop into marine larvae.
The size of crabs is measured across the carapace and the measurement does not include the legs, ghost crabs are about 1 1/2 inches across the carapace.
I found that if I could locate a ghost crab burrow and sit very quietly close to it that they would slowly creep out far enough for me to get some photos.
Mia
Rough-legged Hawk preening
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Photographing a Tricolored Heron from a tidal lagoon
Whimbrel on a floating mat of seaweed
