Bar-tailed Godwit – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

As the year comes to a close it is time to reflect on some of my birding highlights of 2011.

An elusive winter visitor that can be challenging to get photos of,

… this Long-eared Owl provided a few good opportunities.

After a few unsuccessful attempts for this rare visitor to British Columbia,

… I eventually did manage a few shots of this Chestnut-sided Warbler.

Another addition to my list this year was a Red Knot.

Hardly a great photo, but nice to finally get one and see this shore bird.

Having photos of a juvenile bird,

… I had a chance to get this adult Bar-tailed Godwit while roosting with some Plovers.

From a birding perspective,

… I believe this was the only Buff-breasted Sandpiper sighted in Boundary Bay this fall migration.

After a few years of waiting,

… I finally managed to get close to a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper down on the beach.

And to finish what has been another great year,

… the bird that got me started with birding and bird photography make a return in 2011.

Happy New Year!

First a follow-up on my last post. Thanks to those that e-mailed and spoke to me in person confirming the Red Knot. Nice to finally add that bird to my life photo list.

A fairly rare bird to this area that has been frequenting Boundary Bay for some weeks now has been a Bar-tailed Godwit. I just have not seen it on my last few visits to the bay area. Today on the high tide it was present along with the usual Black-bellied Plovers. The problem being it was roosting on a fairly distant hummock. The birds were a little skittish and kept flushing and then returning to roost again. The tricky part was keeping tabs on the Godwit when they were all on the move to see where it landed.

After one such foray it finally landed in some eelgrass that was a little closer. I moved down to the beach and waited to make sure the Godwit and Plovers had settled. Then slowly moved out towards them.