Part of the members of the group

Cottontail Rabbit

Five people join me to celebrate Nature Photography Day at Allens Pond. The day was bright and sunny with intermittent wind. Four people at the at the field station and one person joined us at the beach. Of the group all were experienced photographers is except one, Phoebe an intern at the sanctuary, who was using a bridge camera. Personally, I decided to photograph using my Tokina 10-17 mm fisheye and a 28 to 75 mm short telephoto. Because a few of the people haven't photographed any piping plovers, we started off to go down to the beach. On the way, a cottontail rabbit was very obliging and sitting out in the open and eating and giving everybody opportunity to photograph it.

When we reached the beach and the fifth number joined us, the piping plovers were running on the beach, so I sat people down, because I know if they stayed still and didn't move much the plovers would approach them closely. I went further down the beach with Dan, who was trying to take some video of the plovers and chicks with a Sony SX 50. The plovers and chicks did approach to within 10 to 15 feet of everybody.

Sitting on the beach photographing piping plovers

After we finished on the beach, we hiked to the Quonset trail, which was very muddy because of all the recent rain. We set up at the stone bench overlooking the marsh and photographed some of the birds that were in the area. What turned out to be probably the most interesting event of the morning was a pair of tree swallows mating. The cameras behind me, were clicking away, I was just watching because my grandson was behind me with the long lens, however, he missed the whole event because he was photographing a Willet. As the sun climbed higher in the sky and the light became harsh we called it quits and went back to the field station with everybody having a great morning.

On the Quonset trail overlooking the marsh

I obtained some interesting photographs, utilizing my fisheye and also a number of scenics that I wanted for an e-book that I am writing on photographing Allens Pond and vicinity.