I took my kayak out to have a paddle out at Morningside Park this morning. John Haas reported a Baird’s Sandpiper there yesterday in his blog, and I was hoping it would still be around. It was a really great morning of birding for a few reasons. First of all, I got to see some really great shorebirds:
- Semipalmated Plover 2
- Killdeer 8
- Lesser Yellowlegs 1
- Spotted Sandpiper 1
- Semipalmated Sandpiper 1
- Least Sandpiper 16
- BAIRD’S SANDPIPER 1 *Life bird for me*
The second reason it was such a terrific morning of birding is how close you can get to the birds there. By moving slowly and smoothly in the kayak, you can get REALLY close to these birds. In fact, it kind of messed with me at first – I never get this close so my sense of size and scale was out of sync. I got fantastic looks at all the above species, and this also was a big help with getting some photos.
The third reason is that after I was there for about 40 minutes, John showed up in his kayak. It is always enjoyable to bird with John and I learned a great deal by both talking with him and by watching him as he systematically went through all the islands to make sure he did not miss a bird. His thoroughness and his dedication are inspiring to me.
All these shots are from Morningside Park on 8/17/13.
Really nice shots Matt, It was a great morning. Thanks for you kind words. John
Matt:
Enjoyed your shorebird photos! Congrats on your lifer Baird’s!
Scotty
Glad you guys like the photos. I was actually hoping for a better shot of the Baird’s, but I did alright. Scotty – it was awesome to get that bird, and to really get a great look and learn it.
The Baird’s is a such a pretty bird. Love it!!
The Baird’s is such a pretty bird. Love it!!
Thanks Karen, I think all the shorebirds (when you can get close enough) take really nice photos. Sweet birds.