Piping Plovers and Least Tern ~ A Story

All images were shot with a Nikon D2Xs, 500 AFSII, both with and without a TC14EII converter.

I'm shooting plovers, terns and other shorebirds down in Plymouth MA this summer (weekends only unfortunately) and my wife and I headed down for our first trip this past Friday.

Upon out arrival, we were welcomed with severe thunderstorms....really neat actually as the house we're shooting from is right on the beach.

The rain ended and with the few moments of sun which remained, I headed down the dune path to find the source of the peeping I could barely hear and found this rather damp little beauty standing nearby it's nest....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/7.1    1/180s    ISO 500

The next morning I was up as the sun rose over the ocean and found a plover happily incubating the three eggs which I had seen the evening before.

I sat on the sand, quietly to observe......

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/7.1    1/125s    ISO 250

With another thunderstorm nearby, the morning light was very changeable...and I was a bit nervous, but sat tight as I still had somewhat clear skies above me.

With much screeching, this least tern landed mere feet in front of me and not far from the plover nest.....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/7.1    1/320s    ISO 250

Immediately, the plover on the nest and another nearby, likely it's mate, started working their way away from the nest to draw attention from it as the least tern seemed really intent on trying to sit on the nest itself.....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/7.1    1/500s    ISO 320

The tern kept circling the nest and the plovers got a bit more frantic and began with a little broken wing display to garner it's attenton....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/1600s    ISO 320

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/1500s    ISO 320

When that didn't work things got a bit more agressive....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/1600s    ISO 320

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/1500s    ISO 320

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/1500s    ISO 320

As fast as it began it was over....the tern still looking a bit confused...

NIKON D2Xs    ---    500mm    f/6.3    1/1000s    ISO 160

One of the plovers happily back incubating their eggs....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    500mm    f/8.0    1/640s    ISO 160

And finally...the tern settled onto it's rightful nest which it was obviously confused about, as it was a mere three feet from that of the plovers  

NIKON D2Xs    ---    500mm    f/7.1    1/800s    ISO 200

By the way...a bit later in the day, I managed to catch the plovers on some fly bys as they flew to and from the nest to feed.....

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/2000s    ISO 320

NIKON D2Xs    ---    700mm    f/8.0    1/2000s    ISO 320

 

Hello Pixelographer

I've never used a blind or hide as you folks call it.

I simply move slowly, allow the dreatures I shoot to aclimate to me and observe / photograph them as they go about their buisness.

 

Thanks to All

I'm glad that I was able to share this opportunity with all of you  

 

The Flying Terns

And the breeding tern sequences are on tap for his evening