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 Jetty Park in Brevard Co. hoping to find a Purple Sandpiper that was seen there recently.  I arrived a around 8:30, and for about a half-hour I looked in vain for the sandpiper.  But then I met another birder there who had just seen a Common Eider. So I diverted my attention for a while looking for that duck, since it would be  lifer.  I looked and looked but could not find it.  But then another birder friend came to my rescue.  She had a scope and located it for me.  In my binoculars it looked simply like a brown rock, but in the scope it was the Common Eider. That's my second lifer of 2014! After enjoying the Eider for a while, I returned to looking for the Purple Sandpiper.  I scoured the rocky jetty where it had been seen, but I it either wasn't there or was hidden from view.  And then a little after 10 am I saw it flying north across the river toward the jetty where others had seen it befo...

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