Category: Shorebird

Shorebird

Sanderling, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a sanderling.
The Hunt for Food

I’ve recently begun photographing shorebirds at Point Reyes.  I’ve looked for them twice at Drakes Beach and found sanderlings and marbled godwits there.   Identifying some of them, such as the various sandpipers, is proving difficult.   Also difficult is identifying what they eat.  I’m not sure what this one has caught.  My first guess was that it had a sand flea.  However, a quick search taught me that it might be a mole crab.  Of course, it could be neither of those.  I’ll have to get better informed as I photograph more shorebirds.

Shorebird

Marbled Godwit, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a marbled godwit hunting at Drakes Beach.
Hunting in the Surf at Drakes Beach

This photo was taken last Saturday at 5:10PM, which was 35 minutes before sunset.  As with the bluebird photo of a few days ago, there was a strong color cast caused by the low sun.  This time I left the color correction for middle gray, but disabled the color correction for black/white.  That’s the opposite of what I did with the bluebird.  If I had left the correction for black/white the water would have been very blue.  The color correction for middle gray was small and this looked slightly better to me.

Shorebird

Sandpiper, Point Reyes National Seashore

Photo of a sandpiper checking the remains of a shellfish for something to eat.
Sandpiper, Point Reyes National Seashore

When I go out to Point Reyes to photograph wildlife I usually concentrate on the ranch lands and other open lands of the Seashore.  One day last month I stopped at Drake’s Beach and watched some sandpipers and marbled godwits hunting for food as the waves retreated.  Things were pretty quiet (few people) so I grabbed my gear and headed down there.  Unfortunately for me, some people walking the beach came a little too close for most of the birds and they flew down the beach.  However, a few remained.  This guy came closest.

Limantour Beach is known for shorebirds.  Pat Ulrich has had a lot of success there.  It’s a long way from my usual areas, but I’ll have to check it out.