Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

Today I saw on my 640th life bird –  Northern Lapwing and I did not have to travel to the island of Nantucket to see it.  I was sitting at my computer, when an email came in from Massbird stating that the Lapwing was observed on the four Street fields at Cumberland's important bird area.  I got my gear together, grabbed my son and off we went to see if we could find this rarity.
The Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) is a shorebird in the plover family.  It is normally found throughout the temperate area of Eurasia and is highly migratory.  It is a casual vagrant to the East Coast of the United States.  In fact, this year is a great year for this bird.  There have been two northern lapwing's found on Nantucket and many birders have traveled by ship over to Nantucket to see them.  I explored the data are on eBird and found that the one I saw at Cumberland's, in Hanover Massachusetts on Fuller Street is the first known record for this location.
As we drove down Fuller Street, ahead of us.  We saw a number of cars parked on both sides the road and groups of people with cameras and spotting scopes, looking out into the field.  I stopped and parked the car, first I went over and asked one of the gentlemen if I look through his scope to see the bird, just in case it flew away.  After I had my peek at this lovely bird, I got out my camera, lens and tripod and took a number of pictures.  The Lapwing mainly stayed out in the field, looking around and eating, until a pair of Harriers came over and caused the bird to fly around, but he returned to the same location that the Lapwing was originally, when the birds left.  He was also harassed by a Red-tailed Hawk and flew further down the the field, but again returned to its original location, giving everybody a good view of this bird.
Hopefully, this bird will stay around for a period of time and allow other people to come and view it.  Fuller Street runs from route 105 in Middleborough to East and South Street in Halifax.  The fields that the Lapwing was seen in is just prior to Wood Street.

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Besides photographing the black scoters and the interesting sky the other day, I also spent some time photographing a Sanderling. Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a member of the group known as waders and also as one of the "peeps.”.  Normally, we see them in flocks, running along the shore and following out the receding water and running from the incoming water, looking for small crabs and other small invertebrates.  They  winter locally and leave in the spring to travel to the high Arctic breeding grounds and then return in late summer and early fall.
In the winter, these sanderlings are unmistakable, because of their very pale color, which is almost white, except for a dark shoulder patch.

In the  summer the summer their head, neck and breast will become a reddish brown with dark streaking.

If you sit still low to the ground, the sanderlings will usually run back and forth in front of you.  If you try to keep following  them, they will usually fly away.  I approached the sanderling by walking not directly but laterally towards the sanderling and then I sat on the damp sand, with my tripod down low and waited for the sanderling to come to me.  The photographs were taken with my Nikon D 800 in DX mode, my Nikon or 500 mm F/4 telephoto lens with a 1.4 X converter on it.  I also utilized an external flash that was set above my camera and lens With a Better Beamer attach to the flash.  The flash was used as a fill flash with a -2 EV compensation.  I was not only looking for statics photographs of the sanderling, but some photographs that would show action of its head and body, while it was feeding.

feeding

looking for food

looking for food

"Here Is Looking AT You"

Killdeer on Nest

I visited the Killdeer nest that is right at the corner of Allens Pond Sanctuary and Westport East Town Beach to see how the nesting was proceeding.  The Killdeer is in the middle of her protected area, sitting on the nest and just eyeing visitors.  She has probably gotten very used to people walking by and at least today did not to a wounded wing demonstration.
Today's photos were taken by me laying on the cobbles on the beach and photographing the Killdeer at eye level.  By doing this, it increases the intimacy of the encounter.  My lens was a Tamron 180 mm macro lens, and my camera was a Nikon D 800. Camera setting ISO 200, 1/640 sec., f/8, shot in RAW. with minimal post processing just a tweak of contrast and a 20% crop

Same view taken standing up

Down and low is definitely better.
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American Avocet - Recurvirostra amaricana

I traveled down to First Beach in Newport, Rhode Island to observe the Avocets.  I have observed and photographed the avocets on the West Coast, in Florida, and this spring in Delaware.

.  Checking with reported sightings in southeastern Massachusetts and coastal Rhode Island on e-bird for the last 20 years, the only listed sightings have been this fall.  At the present time, there have been 5 avocets present at First Beach on the Easton's Beach end for over 2 weeks.  The avocets are pretty tame and will walk right by you. 

They are entering their winter plumage, which takes their buffy cinnamon head and necks to a grayish white.  They work their surf to find crustaceans and invertebrates to eat.

The American avocets breeds in the far West from Washington and Saskatchewan South of California and Texas.  The avocets that I saw in Delaware, at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, were copulating, so they probably breed in the area.

If you have never seen an American Avocet and you are in the area.  I would recommend a trip down to First Beach in Newport, Rhode Island to observe these fascinating birds

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