Tag: lake

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Black-necked Stilt Chicks

For my New Year’s post this year, I added an image of a black-necked stilt chick and its mother. I have finally processed additional photos from that day of the same chick and its siblings (there were three altogether).

A black-necked stilt chick wades through shallow water looking for food
A black-necked stilt chick wades through shallow water looking for food

I found this family at a popular birding spot near my home. While I had heard reports that nesting activity had occurred here in the past, I had never seen stilt chicks here myself. It was a joy to watch these little guys stumble around on shaky legs until they got tired, and had to take a break by sitting down on the shoreline.

A black-necked stilt chick takes a rest on the shoreline next to a still pond
A black-necked stilt chick takes a rest on the shoreline next to a still pond

Soon enough, they would recover and bounce back into action. One of the three was more adventurous than then others, venturing away from the shelter of the brush in search of food.

A black-necked stilt chick is reflected in still water as it looks for food along a narrow island
A black-necked stilt chick is reflected in still water as it looks for food along a narrow island

It was fun to watch them interact with each other. I could imagine talking to each other in their own little language, telling each other where the best food could be found.

Two black-necked stilt siblings stand close together in shallow water
Two black-necked stilt siblings stand close together in shallow water

When one chick would wander off too far, the mother would swoop in and corral it back to the others. Hopefully this family had good luck and all of these chicks made it through the nesting season. I look forward to scoping out this spot in the future for more nesting activity and a close up view of parents bringing these little ones into the world.

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Dreaming of spring

A mallard duckling swims close to its mother, who keeps a close eye on her chick
A mallard duckling swims close to its mother, who keeps a close eye on her chick

As I sit here in the pre-dawn morning, I can’t help but think of longer (and warmer) days. Although winter is a fantastic time for birds (at least around the SF Bay Area), I get tired of gearing up for the cold every time I want to go out for photos. This is the time of year that demands real dedication. The time of year that only sees the most dedicated of their fields up and outside in the cold darkness.

Soon enough however, buds will be forming, light will stay later, and little ones like this hatchling will start gracing us with their presence.

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2012 Round-up – Top 40 photos of the year

It is once again that time of year where we assemble compilations of the best and worst of the previous 12 months. Here are the results of culling through my many photos from 2012. Looking back it was a nice mixture of birds, wildlife, and landscapes. I had great photo trips to Death Valley and Grand Teton National Parks, but didn’t spend quite as much time in the High Sierra as I would have liked. Please enjoy the gallery below. For best viewing (especially if viewing on a mobile device), please click on the following photo:

Click the photo above to see the top picks from 2012!
Click the photo above to see the top picks from 2012!

Or, just enjoy the gallery here on the page. To view larger photos in the embedded gallery below, be sure to click the icon in the lower right corner to enter full screen mode.


Hank’s Picks 2012 – Images by Hank Christensen

If you are interested in compilations from previous years, please see the 2011 and 2010 lists.

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Surf Scoter

A male surf scoter shows off his colorful bill in full breeding colors.
A male surf scoter shows off his colorful bill in full breeding colors.

As the new year approaches, I’ve been keeping an eye on the hordes of wintering birds making their way south for the season. A regular winter visitor to the bay area is the surf scoter. While likely dismissed by non-birders and non-photographers as just a dark duck on the water, this is one of my favorite winter waterfowl. The most striking aspect of the male surf scoter is its large, beautifully colored bill.

Difficult to photograph due to the dark feathers, you have to wait for the best, direct light in order to maintain detail. I only have very few photos of this bird that I am happy with, which is disproportionate to the numbers in which they can be regularly found along the bay shore. These birds are divers, and diving ducks always present their own set of challenges photographically.

The most common scenario has me putting one in my sights, waiting for it to get just a little closer and give me the perfect head angle. Just as I’m ready to press the shutter release, it slips beneath the surface for 30 seconds and pops up hundreds of yards away. However, I can also be rewarded when one pops up close to me. In that case I not only get a front row seat to view an interesting bird, but I also get to inspect what morsel it has dredged up from the deep. It is always fascinating to see these guys swallow clams whole (shell and all).

After spending the winter here is won’t be long before they’re pairing up and heading back north in the spring.

Copyright 2017 Hank Christensen