American Avocets work in flocks. Not huge groups like some birds, yet 10 – 15 is not unusual.
The others in the group moved down away and this one stayed.
That’s much better for getting a decent shot. It’s nice to see all the birds but composing and framing is hard. There is always a piece of another bird in the viewfinder.
I have been holding a series of images, this being one, to publish when I needed a few Spoonbill photographs.
The fog made this scene so soft and peaceful I plucked it out for today’s run.
In the world of Spoonbill photos this would be just another group shot. But throw in the fog… kinda nice.
Today started out extra slow. I walked into a swamp area and found a single small Little Blue. Nice, but this bird lives in this spot. I photograph him darn near every time I walk by. Beyond empty of wildlife.
It picked up down at the other end, a lot. This Egret is a sample of the chaos.
The Egrets are in show off mode. This means flying, fast and reckless, all around looking to impress.
This one ran off other suitors and landed in a prime nest spot. Pretty soon a few interested ladies stopped by.
As more Herons and Egrets build nests around here more opportunities for images like this occur.
Yes there are more birds, but even better they are ignoring us because they are busy.
Why is it that everyone wants the same spot. This is especially true of young Spoonbills, I have seen this before.
Most times it starts when a new member joins a resting spot.
After that the antics begin.
Eventually one gets ‘worked up’, another pushed over the side.
The big bills start snapping and it’s great fun to watch though.
This Heron had just left a nesting tree and was leaving over the waters. I don’t remember if this was a food run, or a quick trip for nesting materials.
When looking for branches and fill they tend to stick around the close woods and swamps. At times we can watch and wait for their return.
If searching for food they can travel anywhere. A river and marshes are just over the tree line.
I do like this wide photograph. It came out so much better than it could have. As with many images in the morning lately there was fog, and lots of it.
This was one of the first photographs taken that day and I was still working on getting the settings right. Also a bit later I used a monopod to help shoot as slow a speed as possible. This was hand held, a heavy 150-600 lens.
I find monopods, and tripods, very restricting. Clumsy may be a better description. A close up, fast, in flight shot is downright dangerous with that thing attached to the bottom. To get the shot you pick up the camera and start swinging it around. Somebody / something is ‘going down’.
Long slow shots, and/or fog, require one so I just don’t even try for the in flights (much).
A spot that every photographer must have on their list of places to visit.
Magical comes to mind.
