outdoor photography

Purple Sandpiper Two of my aunts and uncles are in town staying with my parents, and so we all decided to go to the beach for a couple hours this morning.  It was pretty fun hanging out with my daughter and extended family, and of course, I kept an eye on the birds.  I didn't see much that was unusual, though I did see about 30 Barn Swallows flying in from the ocean--nice to see them returning.  The biggest highlight, though, was seeing a Purple Sandpiper at the jetty.  At least one seems to turn up here every winter, so I always hope to see one when I visit.  This morning I was not disappointed.  These are by far my best photos of this beautiful little bird. Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper This morning I drove out to Lighthouse Point Park at Ponce Inlet, FL.  I went looking for a Purple Sandpiper that had been seen there yesterday.  I had never been there before, and upon seeing all the rocks on the beach, I began to think that it would take forever to find.  Well, I decided first to walk out on the jetty, and there it was--couldn't have been easier to find.  I photographed it for 5-10 minutes before it flew off down the jetty in front of a bunch of fishermen and I began to look for other things. Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper