sanderling

My favorite exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the Sandy Shore Exhibit, a constructed habitat for a variety of local shorebirds, which for one reason or another have become captive and can no longer survive in the wild.

A sanderling rests in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Here is a sanderling, which can be found up and down California’s coast. While they can be seen regularly roosting on the beach, it was great to be able to get up close and really appreciate each bird’s attributes.

I spoke to a docent at the exhibit, who said that many of these birds had been injured in the wild, and can not be rehabilitated to the point that they can be released. Others were born in captivity at zoos and other facilities, and made their way to the aquarium due to its excellent reputation.

A ruddy turnstone stands in sand in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

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These birds receive excellent care, being given food, shelter, and even extra attention for their young. The birds were quite comfortable with the visitors moving through their habitat, and proceeded with their natural behavior. With no glass or obstruction between the viewer and the habitat, you were able to feel as if you were amongst the birds instead of just viewing them from a different environment.

A dunlin has a relatively easy life in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

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In addition to the dunlin and ruddy turnstone above, which are regular San Francisco bay area residents, a black-bellied plover was present in its winter colors. This plover is one of those difficult species to identify that can look like a completely different bird in the summer verses the winter. As I have been learning to ID birds, I find myself needing to learn not only each species, but each plumage a species can display throughout the year.

A black-bellied plover in winter colors stands in a natural setting within an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

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I was able to get excellent views of a semipalmated plover, which I’ve had bad luck with in the wild. The few times I’ve seen one have been at such a distance as to make it not possible to photograph. While photographing captive birds doesn’t really “count” per se, I still enjoyed the opportunity to see one up close.

A banded semipalmated plover stands in sand in an injured bird care facility, Monterey Bay Aquarium

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I would highly recommend a visit to the aquarium, particularly this exhibit. Captive animals can serve as a great means by which to practice photography, especially if you do not have long lenses in your arsenal. Most of the shots here were taken between 200 and 300mm, all hand held. I’ll be sure to get back there soon.

A snowy plover just coming into breeding plumage rests in the sand. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/1250 sec. at f/8

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When I was in Moss Landing recently, I knew it would be a good opportunity to photograph snowy plovers in the sand, because they nest along the beach at the mouth of the harbor. Snowy plovers nest right in the open sand, which is why their nesting grounds are frequently protected along the California coast. It was still a little too early to see established nest sites, but they should be scoping some out.

After some searching, I found a few of them sitting down in the sand. They were just starting to come into breeding plumage. Not wanting to disturb them, I spend a good ten minutes creeping slowly closer, until I could create frame-filling shots like the one above. My tripod legs were fully splayed out in order to get the lens closer to the ground. I was pretty happy with my position and the fact that I had gotten as close as I needed to without disrupting the birds.

After making some shots, I looked up and saw a surfer emerge from the water a little ways up the beach. I thought he would continue walking toward the road, but then he saw me and starting walking in my direction. Unbelievably, he walked directly toward me fully in my lens’s line of sight. And he didn’t stop until he was standing next to me looking down at my prone form! Needless to see, the birds scattered as he tromped through their would-be nesting area. I was just staring at him (probably with a dropped jaw), incredulous that he would have so little common sense or self awareness.

“Getting some good photographs?” he asked.

“Well, I was,” I relied wryly. As the acclaimed bird photographer Art Morris is fond of saying, you gotta love it!

The scattered plovers were not to be refound, and I had to settle for the photos I already had. However, I spent some more time creeping up on some sanderlings and western sandpipers who were busy poking through shells and seaweed that had been washed up on the beach. These photos can be seen below.

I quick word to the non-photographers out there. If you are in a remote area and see someone concentrating on something with their camera, please please please don’t just walk up to them and interrupt without understanding what they’re photographing. This is especially important with wildlife that you can spook. The photographers of the world thank you.

A sanderling calls out as it walks along the sand. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/2000 sec. at f/8

Tag: sanderling

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Sandy Shore Exhibit

Snowy Plover and friends