Pat Ulrich Wildlife Photography Blog

White ibis feeding with reflections, Bunche Beach Preserve

2020-02-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

Photographing the wading birds at Bunche Beach Preserve in Florida provided so many unique viewpoints even though I didn't cover much distance. This particular morning the tide was way out when I arrived for sunrise, so I had a chance to wander the exposed tidal flats and shoot back toward the mangrove-shrouded shoreline. It was fun to find a few tidal pool filled with shallow still water that was drawing in the wading birds, which provided a what felt like a fairly unique perspective to be shooting across water toward the beach without being on a boat.

It was a pleasure to observe this ibis cruising back and forth across the pool, and eventually it found what it was looking for with the small crab being tossed from bill to gullet in the photograph below.

Little blue heron with reflection, Bunche Beach Preserve

2020-02-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

A little blue heron intently searching the shoreline of a title pool for a meal at Bunche Beach Preserve in Fort Myers, Florida.

Snowy egret searching for prey, Bunche Beach Preserve

2020-02-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

A snowy egret staring intently through the rising tide for prey below the surface at Bunche Beach Preserve in Florida.

Plover parent sheltering its chick, Sandy Point State Reservation

2020-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

This attentive piping plover parent was keeping close watch over its lone chick. It's wonderful to see these birds caring for their young, but a little sad to know that most broods start out with four hatchlings.

Flock of dunlin in flight, Plymouth Beach

2020-02-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

The coordinated flight of shorebirds is always fascinating to watch, often seeming as if they have the movements of single organism. Here, this small flock of dunlin were descending together toward the beach, all turned in the same direction.

Dunlin at rest, Plymouth Beach

2020-02-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I typically go to the North Shore of Massachusetts for my local shorebird photography, but heading south of Boston down to Plymouth can be very rewarding too. A few years ago I was fortunate to encounter a large flock of dunlin that were transitioning to their breeding plumage. We generally get to see them in their basic colors, so it was a treat to see the black belly-patch coming through.

Sanderling feeding in front of the flock, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-02-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

As I waited for the flock to approach where I was waiting in the sand, this is one of the first sanderlings to come close. A few minutes later the flock would come zooming by on all sides.

Sanderling at dusk, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I had a wonderful evening spent with a large flock of sanderlings as they settled in to roost along the beach at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. After the sun dropped below the dunes behind me, beautiful pastel colors were reflected in a pool of shallow water at the edge of the beach. A lot of the birds were preening or tucking their bills in to rest, but this one slowly walked through the water, providing some lovely reflections without making many waves in the still water.

Sanderlings feeding, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-18T15:45:00.000-05:00

I generally find it hard to work with my camera in a vertical orientation while laying prone in the sand for my low-angle shorebird photography. It leaves my arms and trigger finger in an awkward position against the ground, while also limiting my field of vision to track the rapid motions of the birds. This means that most of my shorebird compositions are horizontal, and this generally matches the fast-paced motion of a sandpiper on the beach. While processing my images, I like to look for at least a few compositions that work in vertical to keep things interesting. The orientation of these two birds, with the first turned toward the camera, caught my attention for a tight crop from the original horizontal perspective.

Little blue heron catches a shrimp, Bunche Beach Preserve

2020-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

For someone who typically photographs small shorebirds that feed on tiny prey, it was pretty amazing to watch waders pull all kinds of large foods from the warm waters at Bunche Breach Preserve in Florida a few years ago. This little blue heron worked its way back and forth across a tidal pool over and over again, catching a variety of fish as well as this shrimp.

White ibis hunting in a tidal pool, Bunche Beach Preserve

2020-01-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

The white ibis looks like it should be awkward with that elongated bill, but this one kept a stately posture as it moved back and forth across a tidal pond at Bunch Beach Preserve.

While I saw ibis catch a lot of prey on my few mornings in the preserve, a near miss let this crab escape.

Willet catches a crab, Bunche Beach Preserve

2020-01-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

It was fun to work some shorebird reflections in the rapidly rising water of this tidal pool at Bunche Beach Preserve in Florida a few years ago. The diversity of prey that the birds pulled from the water was remarkable, and in the shot below, this willet came up with a small crab!

Barred owl, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I took a winter trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island to celebrate my birthday. I mostly struck out with the shorebirds, but this handsome owl drew quite a crowd of photographers as it perched along the road in the last rays of sunlight. It was just far enough back in the woods that it made for a photographic challenge to get a clear view through the branches. The trees in this area are small so the owl was probably only five or six feet off the ground, and I recall having to contort my body in all kinds of uncomfortable ways to get my tripod lined up just right to get a clear framing above the grass along the road and through a branching V of a tree. Totally worth it though when you get to bring home a memory like this!

It didn't seem too bothered by the dozen or so birders and photographers that gathered to enjoy the sight. It continued to scan the ground and listen for prey, and even showed off that famous owl neck flexibility for us.

Preening sanderling, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

A sanderling giving a nice view of its wing feathers while it preens on the beach at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Taking flight, Sanderlings at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

While working the wet sand for some shorebird reflections in the foreground, a second bird taking flight in the background stole the show.

Juvenile red knot, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

I only found a couple of images worth processing from my encounter with red knots back in 2011. The scaled wing feathers of this individual are still visible, marking it as a juvenile on it's first migration from the Arctic. The distances these birds travel each year are amazing, and I hope that this young one made it!

Hudsonian godwit, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

Inspired by my post yesterday of red knots from one of my initial trips to Parker River NWR, I thought I'd share another bird that I found right away in Massachusetts -- the Hudsonian godwit. While roaming the beaches of northern California I regularly encountered marbeled godwits, and they were a delight to photograph with that oversized bill. On my first trip to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, I found a huge flock of shorebirds under a foggy sky. In that gathering was a lone godwit, which I believe to be a Hudsonian godwit, though I'm not 100% sure. It was a great first impression of what the Atlantic beaches would offer me in terms of shorebird encounters, though the deep fog made the photography less than satisfying. After this initial experience, I thought it would be easy to find another godwit in better light -- but I haven't been fortunate enough to see one again!

The evolution of their elongated bills really amaze me. I'm curious for what prey exists when they probe that whole length into the sand, but it's clear they have access to food sources that are out of reach to the other shorebirds around (like the small sandpipers dancing around this frame).

Red knots, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2020-01-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I recently finished reading "The Narrow Edge" by Deborah Cramer which chronicles the migration of red knots across the globe. It was a fantastic view into their life cycle and a pleasure to read, though at times it was a bit depressing to be reminded of the challenges these threatened shorebirds face. When I moved to Massachusetts back in 2011, the red knot was a bird high on my wish list to find. In fact, I initially read about Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, which has become my default photography location now, because it was listed as a good chance for migrating knots. The author of the book is from Massachusetts, and her epilogue takes place in the Refuge, so after finishing it I wanted to dig into my archives to see if I had any images worth sharing from the lone time I found knots to photograph there.

These photos are from October 2011 on what was only my third trip to Parker River NWR. I went for a sunrise and initially found a large flock of semipalmated sandpipers and sanderlings feeding on the tidal flats. It was quite a remarkable experience with a negative low tide and an abundance of tiny clams that the sandpipers were pulling from the exposed flats. The red knot above is swallowing one down whole. In the chaos of this feeding frenzy, there was a small group of about 12 red knots moving through the crowd. I felt fortunate to find them at the time, and now 8 years later I haven't been lucky enough to have another chance for them in front of my lens.

The adults in breeding plumage are known for their gorgeous cinnamon color, but the nonbreeding plumage has many interesting details as well, like the scaled wing feathers on the juvenile above. The photo below would have been a nice portrait to show off some details, if only the sanderling hadn't walked into the frame!

Northern shoveler drake, Radio Road Ponds

2020-01-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted a photo from my archives of one of my favorite winter traditions while I was living in California, and another was all of the beautiful duck species that over-wintered on San Francisco Bay. A trip to see the northern pintail lek at Bothin Marsh was always worthwhile, but my favorite duck to look for was the northern shoveler. These handsome birds were relatively easy to find in the ponds of the South Bay, though they are unfortunately a rarity for me now in Massachusetts.

Northern elephant seal, Año Nuevo State Reserve

2020-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Digging into the archives for a few frames from one of my favorite experiences at the turn of each new year while living in California -- a visit to the breeding colony of elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve. These photos are of a large bull that had taken up residence on loser's beach during our January 2011 trip. We didn't see any females on this stretch of beach away from the main colony, but he was actively defending it from rival males just in case any arrived.

Happy New Year!

2019-12-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a happy new year and all the best for 2020!

Prowling semipalmated sandpiper, Parker River NWR

2019-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

A semipalmated sandpiper prowling the remnants of a tidal pool behind the Lot 6 beach at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Piping plover mother brooding her chicks, Sandy Point State Reservation

2019-12-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

The photo above is another one that made my list of 2019 favorites. I love the color tones provided by the warm sunrise light under a high overcast sky, and I'm drawn to the sense of interaction as the piping plover chick approached its mother to brood. A few other chicks were already tucked underneath their mother, so this chick was searching for the right spot to sneak in.

In the frame below, I love the look shared between this young chick and its mother -- these are the moments of connection we strive to capture as wildlife photographers. As an individual photograph though, I feel like it fell a little short of having enough connection with the viewer. The mother turned her head back far enough to look at the chick that it leaves me feeling disconnected from her in the photograph. The emotion of the young chick's expression still warms my heart though.

After a little bit of trying to find an opening between its siblings, this chick found a spot under her wing and tucked itself out of sight.

Sanderling in shallow water, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

2019-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I was compiling my list of 2019 favorites, this one kept catching my eye. I ultimately did not include it, but I liked how it was a classic shorebird pose but in a shallow layer of water instead of only sand.

Brooding piping plover, Sandy Point State Reservation

2019-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

At the end of the year it's always fun to look back through the photographs I've made over the last 12 months. In 2019, the bulk of my work came during the summer, and especially during the time when tiny piping plover chicks were scurrying across the beaches at Sandy Point State Reservation. I had been saving a few of the photos I knew would be on my list of 2019 favorites to post throughout the fall, and while I didn't get to it then, I'll share them now.

I love to photograph parent plovers caring for their chicks, and especially when the young ones are tucked underneath to brood. I have many different compositions of similar images from the summer, but I've been really drawn to the combination of lighting and color from the dunes in the background in these. When viewed together, I think this series shows how important the tiny changes in head position can be for changing the feeling of an image. Overall, the top photo is my favorite, with a clean profile view. But I also like the one just above, which adds a touch of connection between the plover and the camera. And then there's the image below, which loses the connection to the viewer and adds the focus of the parent on its chicks.

Thanks for viewing and Happy Holidays to you and yours!!