It’s been great being home after five weeks at Nickerson Beach. Bird photography down by the lake at ILE, however, has been very challenging. With torrential rains most afternoons for the past month or more, I have not even considered driving on either field or the South Peninsula. The ground is super-saturated and it would be like trying to drive on oatmeal. And though the area left of the pier is accessible by car, it has become totally overgrown with marsh vegetation: natural succession, but terrible for bird photography. <\/p>\n
So, the best and pretty much only decent stuff has been on and from the pier; I have spent much of my time photographing a variety of avian subjects on the pier railings. Though wooden railings are not the most attractive perches around, at least I have something to photograph. In the past week I have shot Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Fish Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Osprey, and two species of juvenile shorebirds — Spotted Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper. <\/p>\n
Today is Sunday 20 September 2026. I will be heading down to the lake at about 7:15am, just about the time of sunrise. 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 I hit the jackpot last Tuesday morning when I encountered a ridiculously tame juvenile Least Sandpiper on the ILE pier railing. I needed to get within eight or nine feet of the young peep in order to get on sun angle. Amazingly, I did. A variety of techniques were employed to get as low as possible and minimize the less-than-ideal setting. The bird\u2019s feet were a mess and its bill was not in much better condition. Check out the cleanup results below, and don\u2019t miss the section detailing exactly why I hate working in sidelight \u2014 i.e., well off the sun angle. <\/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 for all the eloquent and moving comments in response to Warren Robb’s Vietnam War combat survival tales. <\/p>\n Which of today’s three featured images do you like best? Why? <\/p>\n 82-year old Carolyn Johnson took my advice and replaced her Sony 200-600 with the Swiss Army Knife Sony 100-400mm f\/4.5 GM Lens. She loves the lighter, far better balanced 1-4 and uses hers often with either teleconverter. The best new? The BIRDS AS ART Sony 100-400mm f\/4.5 GM Lens Guide is pretty much finished. Use one of my links to purchase to earn a free copy of the guide. Otherwise, purchase your copy by sending a PayPal for $150.43 to samandmayasgrandpa@att.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hey Artie, what a scary encounter with the sea\u2014so glad you kept your cool and saved yourself. Looking forward to seeing you in San Diego in January and Homer in February. Stay safe. Carolyn<\/p>\n Thanks, CJ. Me too \ud83d\ude42 I am glad that you are loving your 100-400mm f\/4.5 lens. I love mine too. You are a little short on the Burrowing Owl height \u2014 they go from 7 1\/2 to just under 10 inches tall. I look forward to seeing you in 2027!<\/p>\n much love, artie<\/p>\n My pro photographer friend — see more below — has a wonderful eye for both composition and light, and is one of the very few leaders (aside from me<\/em>, he said modestly) who actually teaches on a photo trip. <\/p>\n An award-winning professional photographer friend has three open slots on a summer 2027 photo cruise to the Galapagos Archipelago. This trip is capped at just eleven participants on a fast ship that normally carries fourteen. He is an exceptional photographer and instructor, a master of image design, and works with light as well as anyone in the field. Over the past few years, his work has even inspired me to get off sun angle on occasion.<\/p>\n If you are seriously interested in learning more, please get in touch with me via e-mail.<\/a> <\/p>\n The pier at Indian Lake Estates is laid out almost perfectly east to west. The pier itself points just a few degrees north of west. With the fall equinox just days away, the sun is rising just about due east, right over the base of the pier. By 8:05am on 15 September 2026, the sun angle was slightly south of east. I first spotted the Least Sandpiper on the railing at A and standing about 20 feet to the north, I made a record shot well off sun angle. You can see that in Screen Capture #2 immediately below. As I approached, the bird flew to the end of the south T of the pier. Approaching slowly, I was amazed that the bird was tame enough so that I could get right on sun angle. The pier is less than ten feet in width. <\/p>\n The bird then foraged its way from B all the way down the railing back to A. I stayed with the bird all the way as it walked to the north. At first, I did not crouch enough in fear of bringing the sky into the frame. Eventually I got lower as in Images #2 and #3. Both of those were made right around C. The bird continued north and then west and wound up resting at D. At that point, I made some eye level images with the lens resting on the railing. Then the bird headed back toward B. I followed him halfheartedly for a while until my battery died. Images #1-3 were made pretty much right on sun angle — that, somewhat of a miracle. <\/p>\nGear Questions and Advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Summary<\/h3>\n
In The Last Blog Post<\/h3>\n
Your Call?<\/h3>\n
CJ Loves Her Sony 100-400mm f\/4.5 GM Lens!<\/h3>\n
Carolyn Johnson\/September 19, 2026 at 7:37pm<\/h2>\n
\nMy three days with you at Nickerson Beach was just what I needed to reboot my photo taking. I now don\u2019t leave the house without the 100-400 and a1ii in my car. Went down to Anzo Borrego and found the burrowing owls! What a hoot!! 6\u201d tall with attitude! I\u2019ll send you another image.<\/p>\nArthur Morris\/BIRDS AS ART\/September 20, 2026<\/h2>\n
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\n \n \n \n Galapagos Tortoises<\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
Stellar Galapagos Trip<\/h3>\n
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\n \n \n \n Screen Capture #1: Google Map of the ILE Pier showing the approximate sun angle at 8:05am on 15 September 2026
Morning Sun Angle at the ILE Pier<\/h3>\n
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\n \n \n \n Screen Capture #2: Least Sandpiper worn juvenile beginning molt to first basic (winter) plumage on pier railing