Godwitsplosion
Marbled Godwits, with a few other shorebird species mixed in, take flight from their island perch in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary....
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Marbled Godwits, with a few other shorebird species mixed in, take flight from their island perch in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Aug, 2016Views
206
Likes
Awards
Winner in Large Flocks on the Wing - 1 Photo Challenge
Categories
davidlipsy
August 28, 2016
Awestruck is the best word I can use to describe this!!
Just a fantastic image!!
Just a fantastic image!!
Platinum
Platinum
mcampi
April 03, 2018
You win that is the most birds that close together I have ever seen.. Just awesome .
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
These Marbled Godwits are taking flight over Klopp Lake in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary. This tidal lake is the most accessible of the places where shorebirds gather when the rising tide forces them off the mudflats of Humboldt bay.Time
I captured this during mid-afternoon, timing my outing to coincide with a high tide.Lighting
This was taken with only natural light.Equipment
I shot this on a RED Epic-X with a Sigma 300-800mm zoom lens on a Cartoni FL-7 tripod.Inspiration
I had witnessed several spectacular shorebird displays over Klopp Lake, and decided to stake out their gathering sEditing
Only basic color balance and contrast curve adjustments were made to this image.In my camera bag
The Sigma 300-800mm zoom is my go-to lens for shooting birds. At the long end, it can get help you span great distances or get intimate closeups, and the ability to zoom out allows you to capture some of the bird's surroundings or perhaps its companions. While I'm scouting out a subject to film, I carry that lens on a shoulder strap with a Nikon D500, and when I've found the right location to stake out, I mount it on a RED Epic-X atop a Cartoni FL-7 tripod.Feedback
Most shorebird species, when gathering on the coast for the winter, feed on intertidal mudflats in bays, river deltas and salt marshes. Taking note of the places they gather when the tide forces them out of their feeding grounds can help you get in position to capture dense flocking formations like this.
