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"Sanderling III"
Photograph by: Benjamin DeHaven
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"Sanderling II"
Photograph by: Benjamin DeHaven
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"Sanderling I"
Photograph by: Benjamin DeHaven
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These Sanderling photos were taken at Fowler Beach, which is part of Prime Hook NWR in Delaware. I found a spot between two large groups of Sanderling and plopped myself down in the sand just above the high tide mark, hoping to stay dry. Then I waited as the birds flowed back and forth from one group to the other. It was a very solid hour and a half of shooting which yielded many, although similar, shots.
Whenever you can, you should position yourself as low as possible to the ground if you are shooting birds on the ground or water. If you are fairly close to your subject, you will get the dramatic depth of field which allows for both the foreground and background to be out of focus while allowing a slice of in focus area to encompass the bird. This results in excellent subject isolation. I am guilty of often standing up with my tripod or monopod and shooting down on my subject. But when I can, I get as low as possible. It takes more effort and planning, but when you pull it off the results are great!
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"Running Ahead Of The Waves"
Photograph by: Benjamin DeHaven
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This shot of a flock of Sanderling was taken on Assateague Island, MD on a cold winter's morning. The beach was empty and I was outnumbered by this pack of birds. Luckily for me they didn't want any trouble, unlike their gull friends who wanted any bits of food I might have had with me. The Sanderling would run down into the receding waves to grab any little morsels of food they could find. Then they would run back up the beach to avoid the next wave.
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"Slippery Landing"
Photograph by: Debbie Jordan
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This little Sanderling was having a difficult time staying steady on the wet rocks at the Indian River Inlet. I watched as it flitted around, landing briefly, only to lift off and try again. This image was captured when it was a bit off balance trying to stick the landing.
Sanderlings breed in the Artic tundra of Canada and migrate South in the Fall to inhabit many of the coastal beaches of North America and South America. Known for their constant wave chasing, these comical birds are actually foraging along the shoreline. Winter is a great time for a trip to the shore to enjoy the antics of the Sanderlings. There are also a large number of other migrating birds to see at National Wildlife Refuge areas during this time of year: snow geese, Canada geese, swans, eagles, hawks, owls, and a variety of ducks. Hope you get out and enjoy all there is to see this time of year!
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