When I captured my first full frame picture of a bird (Towhee), a good medium-format photograper at work remarked that I must have been close to the bird and used a long lens. I said yup - 500mm - and was less than ten feet from the bird. Distance has always been the challenge, especially with non-shorebirds, such as those on More Mesa that tend to fly away at the slightest disturbance. Shorebirds often circle around and come back to the same stretch of land. Creeping slowly forward and standing still have become habits that paid off a little with this weekend’s photos of mostly migratory shorebirds.

(Bonaparte’s Gulls at Goleta Sanitary District - click image for larger picture)

The hours between 3 and 5:30pm on Friday were very rewarding, with a first stop at Goleta Sanitary District - although the photos of the Black-headed Gull were of the bird at a distance. The number of Bonaparte’s Gulls was quite amazing, with many juveniles.

(Black-headed Gull in two crops - click image for larger picture)

Thought that the only picture taken was of the Black-headed Gull after it had flown into the pond; while going through the pictures discovered a slightly better picture, that had been taken of all the Bonaparte’s Gulls sideways along the berm.

Did a slow walk to the tanks, where some of the birds were standing on railings and fixtures allowing for good, clear shots.

(Juvenile Bonaparte’s Gull - click for large image)

At Goleta Beach, where sandy expanses had been uncovered by the receding tide, walked onto the wet soil to better observe the Western Sandpipers. While standing quite still watching the birds wheel in flocks as they moved about the Slough mouth, was surprised that on two occasions they landed about ten feet away from where I was. As a result, was able to capture a couple shots of the flocks as they flew nearby. In the photo below, two of the birds did not leave food behind despite their flocking behavior. (Learned from the Cornell Link below, that this is known as ploychaete worm prey, a food eaten amongst others on migration.)

(Western Sandpipers at Goleta Slough - click for larger image)

There were many peeps at UCSB East Beach, especially Western Sandpipers. A tired Dunlin was determined to sleep, standing in a shallow pool of water close to the main path. Was able to get close to take a photo of its rusty breeding feathers, but was disappointed that it was not feeding, so that a better view of the black spot on its belly could be captured. But the late afternoon cloudy spring light was wonderful for photography in this area of water, seaweed/kelp and birds.

(Dunlin in breeding plumage - click for larger image)

Further along at the Campus Point rocks saw a large flock of what seemed to be Brant’s, fly by. By this time, it was becoming quite chilly and windy. On the way back up the stairs, was lucky to come upon a close Scrub Jay for a decent full-frame shot. It is often all about being at the right place at the right time.

(Willet at Campus Point - click for larger image)

On Saturday, repeated the visit to the above locations - and was amazed at the difference twelve hours and a clear day (night?) could make. Most of the birds had left or moved somewhere else. As a result, decided to look for the many hummingbirds reported along Merida Drive. Was not lucky with Calliopes, but was able to get some shots of Black-chinned and Rufous Hummingbirds - firsts for me. Maybe a Calliope will be found when the sun shines again.

(Rufous Hummingbird at Merida Drive - click image for larger picture)

Links

• A blog I visit almost everyday, has a very nice post about migration radar. I did not realize or remember that bird migration begins at sunset.
  http://monarchbfly.com/2006/10/02/how-to-observe-migration-at-night-2/
• Migration routes of Western Sandpipers
  http://www.k-state.edu/bsanderc/1996wils.pdf
• All About Birds - Western Sandpiper
  http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Western_Sandpiper.html
• Hemisphere Shorebird Project Proposal of the Shorebird Research Group of the Americas
  http://www.zoo.ufl.edu/ajahn/participants/stephen%20brown/srga.htm
  (”We predict that shorebirds have become more numerous in non-coastal areas that have fewer birds of prey.”)