The Atlantic was stormy on Thursday morning past. In the wind and the drizzle, there were lots of good low-light blastoff chances. Check out the images and keep reading to learn how I wound up in the surf. Twice. And might have lost my life. <\/p>\n
Note: General information, copy editing, re-crafting, technical refinement, and formatting for this blog post were assisted by Gemini AI.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the few who commented on Rob DeBartolo’s images in the last blog post. My two favorite were the preening young oystercatcher and the juvie turnstone going down the berm. The former for the dead solid perfect head angle and the latter because I really wish it were mine.<\/p>\n
Which of today’s three pleasing blurs do you like best? Why? (Sorry, Pat Fishburne.) <\/p>\n
If you have ever been close to death and would like to share your story, please leave a comment below. <\/p>\n
When I finally got back in action after the stomach flu, the tennis match that ended at 3:33am, and the small claims court case mediation that went on for hours, the late-season bird photography at Nickerson Beach turned out to be quite excellent (even though many of the birds have left. After four days without creating a single image, Thursday morning was looking fabulous \u2014 until I almost died in the heavy surf. Right after my near-death adventure, a Marbled Godwit, rare on open ocean beaches, landed right in front of us in a tidal pool. While I was still indisposed, Anke made a great flight shot of the bird that changed my life some fifty years ago. We saw nearly a thousand Sanderlings that afternoon and enjoyed a nice sunset and lots of tern and skimmer blasts. We had a nice sunrise on Friday morning, but photography was difficult. We had had many more Sanderlings, but only a few were present. Anke spotted a juvenile Whimbrel, another rare visitor to the south shore of Long Island and we both managed a few decent photos.<\/p>\n
We headed back to the AirBnb early to finish packing. I dropped her off at her apartment in NYC and continued on to Wilmington, DE where I grabbed a room in a Courtyard Marriott. I woke early on Saturday, began work on a second edit of my July\/August Nickerson photos, and drove less than three hours to the Auto Train Station in Lorton, VA. <\/p>\n
Today is Sunday 13 September 2026 and I am feeling fine. And alive. We should be pulling into Sanford Station in Florida before 9:00am and after a quick stop at Publix, I am hoping to be home by noon on Sunday, in time for a quick nap before the NFL games while continuing work on the second edit and the new BAA Sony 100-400 f\/4.5GM Lens Guide. Whatever you opt to do, I hope that you choose to have fun and enjoy life. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie – The Work.Com<\/a> <\/p>\n If an item \u2014 a Delkin flash card or reader<\/a>, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro<\/a>, or a Wimberley lens plate <\/a> or low foot<\/a> — for example, that is available from B&H and\/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and\/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation. <\/p>\n Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net<\/a>, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.<\/a> If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.<\/p>\n This image was created on 10 September 2026 at Nickerson Beach Park, Lido Beach, NY. Standing on the beach, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f\/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E)<\/a> with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter<\/a> (at 420mm) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a-1 II Mirrorless Camera<\/a>. The exposure was determined by Zebras with Exposure Compensation (EC) on the Thumb Dial. Multi Metering +2.0 stops. AUTO ISO set ISO 400: 1\/13 second at f\/4 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 6:38:05am just before the time of sunrise on a cloudy morning. <\/p>\n Tracking: Zone\/AF-C with Bird-Eye\/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a larger high-res version.<\/p>\nGear Questions and Advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n \n \n \n Image #1: Black Skimmer flock blastoff
\nImage copyright 2026: Arthur Morris\/BIRDS AS ART