This gallery contains 5 photos. One of many Sanderlings–seen here in its non-breeding, winter plumage–who have been frequenting the shores of Boundary Bay Regional Park since mid-November 2014. Photographed on January 16.
A pair of Sanderlings share. A rare moment of co-operation and tenderness between Sanderlings (who are more likely to go solo or chase each other during their hunts) in their search for snacks on the shores of Boundary Bay Regional Park. These shorebirds actually chose to fly by and forage near us for about 30 minutes. Did we represent protection against the bald eagles? Photographed on January 16.
Despite the 60-80 Sanderlings probing the shoreline, getting a group photo of this high-energy flock (which was soon joined by another flock of 30-40 Sanderlings) in action was a bit difficult (imagine kindergarten-aged children running amok all over the place); shots of bills submerged in water as well as feathered butts pointed in my direction were the norm. Photographed on February 28.
And suddenly, there were many, many more. After getting used to the presence of a photographer in their midst, the entire flock of 100+ Sanderlings suddenly decided to take to the skies, and circle the shore just above the water several times. Photographed on February 28.
Click on this link to see a landscape photo of that flock formation.
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These photos are all terrific — shorebirds are naturally photogenic, but you’ve used light and composition to great effect! And the last photo of the flock is especially effective. I really should borrow a decent lens and go down to Boundary Bay one of these lovely winter mornings!
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thank you, Pierre! it’s so amazing how close you can get to these tiny shorebirds, and they’re not the least frightened or put out by the photographer(‘s lens!) I took these shots with a Sigma 500mm f/5-6.3 APO DGM HSM telephoto lens handheld. winter and fall really are amazing seasons to see migratory and wintering birds at Boundary Bay! 🙂
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Such superb sharp focus – and handheld, wow, that’s amazing.
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thank you, Vicki! they really are unafraid of humans, and there were quite a few there at the beach on Feb 28. I was bracing myself on my knees for about 30-45 minutes in both “sessions”, snapping away. the majority of my wildlife shots are taken without tripod (even the flying bird shots) because that is another 2-3 lbs to haul around. 🙂
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Stunning photos! Your work is amazing ❤
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thank you, Lucy! 🙂
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I love to watch shore birds, but my favorites are the gray pelicans which fly in weird formations along the shore and over the water, occasionally diving for good. You can see evolution, looking at them!
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that would be so nice to see in Vancouver! pelicans are a rarity here, and any sighting is a big news event. 🙂
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