I just finished co-leading an IPT (instructional photo tour) at Nickerson Beach and Jamaica Bay with Arthur Morris. I was very excited to go on this workshop with Artie since I had never been to Jamaica Bay. Artie conducted the shorebird survey for Manomet Bird Observatory for 8 years and has run lots of IPT’s at Jamaica Bay. He knows the place and the birds like the back of his hand. I also was able to meet up with a lot of fellow friends and photographers (not on the IPT), including: Lloyd Spitalnik, Kevin Watson, Grace and Ted Scalzo and Joe Senzatimore.
The group of clients were really nice. I liked them all very much and hope I get to shoot with each of them in the future. We were able to photograph a great variety of shorebirds which included juvenile and adults. Below is a list of all the birds I saw on the trip not just the shorebirds.
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Sanderling
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Short-billed Dowitcher
Semipalmated Plover
Black-bellied Plover
Piping Plover
Red Knots
Black Skimmers
American Oystercatchers
Common Terns
Forester Terns
Little Blue Heron
White Pelican (1)
Peregrine Falcon (1)
Mute Swan
Canada Geese
Osprey
Assorted Gulls
I had been waiting for one of these to bathe and give me a wing stretch. Sitting down as low as I could go in all kinds of muck while being eaten alive by bugs. No-see-ums covered my eyelids while 100′s of small black flies bit the top of my feet through the net top of my surf shoes, I thought for sure even I would give up but I stuck it out and was rewarded with this image. I would have liked the bird to have dried off a bit more before this stretch but hey I’ll take it!!
I was away from the group photographing some Mute Swans when this yellowlegs came flying in for a bath. It started to preen and gently shake then all of a sudden it started flapping it’s wings.
Image copyright 2010: Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D Mark IV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 2/3 stops: 1/125 sec. at f/9. Fill Flash at -2 stops with the Better Beamer.
Artie and the group photographed this skimmer chick while I walked back to the car to get my flash-you gotta love it!
This one seemed a bit more black and white in color tones
then some of the others and it caught my eye.
I was able to get a full wing flap but I liked the
way the neck looked for this image.
I created this image in the early morning. It was a very
overcast so a slow shutter speed was a snap.
Canon 1D Mark III ISO 200, f/7.1 at 1/13 sec.
* Photographing tips for Jamaica Bay. Wear water proof boots. Be prepared to get down in the muck. Some use bug spray.
Fantastic images & blog, D!!! I look forward to your next post.
Thanks Susan, I appreciate you taking the time to look and comment. It means a lot!! It was a great time and we will have to go to Jamaica Bay together soon.
Terrific work Denise. You know I like your style. I am doing shorebird photography for the first time really this season and hence appreciating these shots much more than I used to. They dont stand still and pose like it might appear from these shots….just goes to show how hard it is to pull them off.
I am enjoying your blog articles a lot. Keep it up !
Kaustubh, Thank you very much for the kind words. You are right they don’t stay still for long. They are all so adorable to me and being near the water to photograph them adds lots of possibilities. Maybe that’s why I enjoy the shorebirds so much.
Nice job as usual Denise. That Skimmer pair with chick is awesome!
Hey Nick, Thanks for stopping by . I love that one too! We’ll have to get together and shoot there. Maybe Ben, Susan and Roman will join us.