Fort DeSoto is one of my favorite locations for photographing birds. Prime time is normally in the spring when the gulls, herons, egrets and shorebirds are in their beautiful breeding plumage, courting, mating, bringing in nesting material and generally entertaining the photographers that flock to the area. If you time it just right you can also find hundreds if not thousands of warblers that have migrated from the south and made landfall at Fort DeSoto for a rest before moving farther north.
However, I have found late spring to early summer to be very productive as well. By now, some of the babies birds have fledged and are scurrying around. One of the best ways to photograph the smaller shorebirds is to find a good spot where there the birds are working the surf, lower your tripod as far as you can to be at eye level with the birds and let them settle down and come to you which is exactly what we did. The following are some of the birds that passed by while we sat quietly waiting.
Juvenile Wilson’s Plover…
Nikon D4, AF-S 200-400mm f4 VR, TC-20E III ISO 200 f8 @ 1/500
Juvenile Willet…
Nikon D4, AF-S 200-400mm f4 VR, TC-20E III ISO 200 f8 @ 1/750
White Ibis eating a crab…
Nikon D4, AF-S 200-400mm f4 VR, TC-20E III ISO 200 f8 @ 1/1000
A pair of juvenile Sanderlings…
Nikon D4, AF-S 200-400mm f4 VR, TC-20E III ISO 400 f8 @ 1/1000
A couple of tips for successful bird photography is to get as low as you can (even on your belly with a Skimmer Ground Pod II with a Wimberley head attached) to be at eye level with the birds which also provides a very nice blurred background that makes them pop. Hold still with very little movement and noise and be patient. The birds will get used to you and continue on with their business providing some wonderful photo opportunities.
