Least Tern with Fish on Beach - Copyright Randy G. Barney Photography

Serious Bird Activity on The Sound Today

It Was Gray and Overcast, But The Birds Were Active!

I had slotted on my calendar to head to the Sound this morning to see what type of photo adventures were to be had. When I looked outside, the skies did not look happy. Weather, however, is one of the factors for making great photographs!

I decided to focus my attention on the Sound in an area with lots of marsh and vegetation. The skies were overcast with the threat of rain. As the morning progressed, the sun would peak out of the clouds on occasion.

Back in my hunting days, I learned early that multitasking was not a friend to a successful hunt. Focus always won out as the victor. In photography, I have been rewarded with photographs due to being prepared for different varieties of subject matter. My goal today was landscape photography, more specifically, I was in search of a minimalistic subject. Because there are always birds on the beach, I brought a second camera with my long lens. This turned out to be a good decision and I was well rewarded!

I found a nice spot on the edge of the marsh overlooking the beach and sat down to observe the morning activity. As I watched, there was a particular spot on the beach where the “Least Terns” were coming to bathe themselves in the shallow spot of the beach. I was delighted to watch all types of fun; bathing, dancing and fishing where all on the morning agenda for the cute little Terns. I’ve included a couple of those photos here in the blog!

One of the most common shorebirds is the Sanderling, which is a member of the Sandpiper family. They run along the beach poking their long narrow beak into the sand looking for small crabs, worms, amphipods and other delicacies that hide in the sand. While watching one of these little birds, I was able to capture a very artistic shot just as the sunlight came out. The effect of the white sand, combined with the sudden burst of sunlight, created an ethereal feel, as the Sanderling began to blend into the landscape.

After quite a while of observing and shooting, I needed to stretch. As I stood up and looked behind me, I spotted a Great Blue Heron that had emerged from his hiding place. I photographed him in multiple positions as he snuck through the vegetation. After a while, he got tired of sneaking and flew a short distance out to the beach where he walked along the beach like a tourist with a new pair of sunglasses. He then decided to fly one more time to a small pond in another section of the marsh. In all, he made a 180 degree path around me giving me plenty of candid poses for some lifestyle shots.

My most favorite experience, on this little adventure was my fishing buddy the Least Tern. Along the shorelines of the sound can be found lots of minnows swimming in schools ready to learn something new. Well, my little friend the Tern, had some sucess in his trip to ‘school’ (no pun inteneded) and came back with a prize (see my featured image above). Apparently, he wasn’t trying to impress the women, because all he did was prance around with this fish as if to tease the other Terns. One of them tried to take the fish from him but was unsuccessful.

My allotted time in nature had come to an end and it was time to head home after a great morning on the beach. If you would like to have a large print of any of these fun birds hanging on your wall, just contact me! I would be glad to help you figure out what size would look best in your setting.

All Images taken by the author © Randy G. Barney Photography

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