Shorebirds

Ring Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Eastwood Lake, Dayton, Ohio Adventure is worthwhile in itself." - Amelia Earhart Birding via car is a different take on wildlife observation. Some locations and situations may call for this to occur like when driving past an elongated lake. Slowing to an idle, I looked out to see mallards and gulls at the waters' edge. They were all out of focal reach except for this lone gull on a rock. I reach for my telephoto zoom lens attached to the camera in the passenger seat. If you think ahead, then all the settings should be dialed and ready. Putting the car in park several feet away with the driver's side facing the shorebird. A couple of minutes and shots later, and the late afternoon light worked out to create this image. © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Carriage Hill Metropark, Dayton, Ohio © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Buck Creek State Park, Springfield, Ohio "The afternoon knows what the morning never expected." The Golden Hour appears to make almost any image more interesting and powerful. The transformation of a blue sky and sunny day into this warm colored dusk. My attention for this beautiful evening was torn between the setting sun and this massive flock of gulls near the beach side. I managed to approach them rather close and zoomed in with my large telephoto lens. The flock seemed to congregate in this spot near the water for the night, as some flew above and landed on nearby buoys. My intent with this image was to show the scale and number of birds present here. The extra special detail became the background bird raising its' wings, perhaps in protest of my shutter capture. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Buck Creek State Park, Springfield, Ohio "The Earth has its music for those who will listen." - George Santayana The startled flock, if memory recalls some late evening passerbys got a little too close for comfort. I saw this coming long before the moment occured, so I set my settings to capture the middair motion as they took off. The juxaposition of the background birds taking flight and the foreground gulls still ground-locked made for a nice compositional contrast. For an abstraction of their takeoff, I could've employed a slower shutter speed. This would blur their wing movements and add a dose of impressionism into the frame. The creative control in photography is truly in the photographer itself. Some forethought and knowledge of the camera in hand is all that is needed to craft powerful images! #onlyinohio #nature_oh #oh_ig #ohio_ig #ohiogrammers © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Dominick Lofino Park, Beavercreek, Ohio "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." - Jonathon Swift Some sandpipers and plovers can be really quiet when moving along the sandbars of ponds. This Spotted Sandpiper unassumingly got my attention after noticing its' smallness. This must be why they get their title and name the little "Spotty." Another humerous characteristic is that they bob their rear half up and down while walking along the shore, almost like a teetering motion. You will only likely see these Spotty's alone, very rarely do they come together in flocks. This particular day had a variety of spring birds, including Mallard ducklings, Great Blue Herons and various Geese. The most widespread breeding sandpiper, this Spotty was sitting off to the edge of the pond. The oldest known Spotted Sandpiper was recorded in New York, being 12 years old. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio I can only assume this Killdeer is exhibiting the "false nest" brooding behavior by laying down in a secluded spot. These quirky little birds will even feign death as well as a broken wing to ward off predators. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio I can only assume this Killdeer is exhibiting the "false nest" brooding behavior by laying down in a secluded spot. These quirky little birds will even feign death as well as a broken wing to ward off predators. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio I can only assume this Killdeer is exhibiting the "false nest" brooding behavior by laying down in a secluded spot. These quirky little birds will even feign death as well as a broken wing to ward off predators. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio A member of the Plover family and quite possibly my favorite shorebird, Killdeer are very animated with some bizarre and unique behaviors. First off, they will try to fake a broken wing in order to ward off intruders at their nest. You will see the Killdeer laying down slanted and flailing it's wings around while chirping. Another tactic used is a false nest brooding behavior where they lay down and pretend to protect a nest that isn't there. The Killdeer you see here ended up acting out that false nesting before my eyes and lens. One last characteristic is their start-stop movement patterns. For this reason they can be tricky to photograph however enough practice earns satisfactory results. Maneuvers like this are unique to this species. The name Killdeer is derived from their loud and raucous call. Often when startled they will fly around in circles belting out these notes. Suitable habitat for Killdeer are on beach shores, along some water streams, and in open fields. This was taken on a gorgeous summer day and I spent a lot of time just laying on the ground and observing these little Plovers. The open and rocky landscape provided a nice backdrop for the image. I can't stress the importance of patience in wildlife photography, I spent as much time just watching them through binoculars as I did capturing them on the camera. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Caesar Creek State Park, Waynesville, Ohio “Wherever there are birds, there is hope.” - Mehmet Murat ildan I was traipsing through the woods in and around the state park and lake, respectively. This quaint little shorebird caught my eye. My first guess to identification was that it was a baby American Coot. At a distance this seemed likely, yet as close as a look I could get to the lake waters confirmed the ID. A lone grebe was dunking itself for fish catches. A rather mild success for the bird and I. I ended with this photo of it swimming and of it with the catch it sometimes made. After almost half an hour of laying down against the pebble beachside (not the most comfortable) the waters took this grebe out further from shore. I can only express graditude for the moments I got to share with the time we had together. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Deeds Point Metropark, Dayton, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Deeds Point Metropark, Dayton, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Oakes Quarry, Fairborn, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)

Huffman Metropark, Fairborn, Ohio © 2020 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Shawnee Park, Xenia, Ohio "The gull sees farthest who flies highest." - Richard Bach Often times the case, chasing birds can be an instance of too-good-to-be-true. A local sighting or reporting can become a thrill in order to see something new and increase your bird "life list." It was a very chilling late morning for Ohio, I was the sole visitor to this local park and pond amidst midday traffic. Staking out at the waters' edge with the telephoto lens, DSLR and a tripod aimed and ready. Simply put, I arrived at the location, the bird was there, I photographed it, it flew around and away. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Dominick Lofino Park, Beavercreek, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Buck Creek State Park, Springfield, Ohio "The outside is the only place we can truly be inside the world.” - Daniel J. Rice Urban wildlife photography has been a motif I have dabbled in from time to time. With the loss of habitats, many animals have to quite honestly either adapt or die. While this image is far from being a truly urban shot, the use of a water lake buoy in the frame shows how gulls and other shorebirds use these to perch way out in the lake. I deliberately try to avoid containing artificial or man made objects in my compositions. I prefer to keep most things "wild" and as naturally as possible. Likewise it is fun to break my own rules sometimes. After nailing a jaw dropping landscape composition. I scanned the lake horizon for any more subjects or points of interest. This lone gull was perched far away from my position as it stood at attention. Captured during the golden hour of light, that orange glow is from the heavenly sunset casting a glow onto both the buoy and gull. The light is even reflected in the gull's eye. A solid bird portrait that shows a sense of place and was taken under attractive lighting conditions. © 2018 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Old Reid Park, Springfield, Ohio "I also became close to nature, and am now able to appreciate the beauty with which this world is endowed." - James Dean Taking opportunities as they come, like this approachable gull near the pond. A common shorebird yet can be quite stunning to see up close. Wildlife as it were in its natural habitat. © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Ring Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)

Old Reid Park, Springfield, Ohio © 2021 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Pied Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Spring Lakes Park, Bellbrook, Ohio "Earth and Soul breathe poetry alike.” - Laura Jaworski This tiny and precious water bird became my focus for a time as it dove for minutes at a time. The grebe would then reappear 10 feet or farther away in a new spot, making a shot like this impulsive and a reaction to their swimming actions. © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Pied Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Spring Lakes Park, Bellbrook, Ohio "Earth and Soul breathe poetry alike.” - Laura Jaworski This tiny and precious water bird became my focus for a time as it dove for minutes at a time. The grebe would then reappear 10 feet or farther away in a new spot, making a shot like this impulsive and a reaction to their swimming actions. © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Grand Lake St. Mary's, Celina, Ohio © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Grand Lake St. Mary's, Celina, Ohio © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Grand Lake St. Mary's, Celina, Ohio © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

American Coot (Fulica americana)

Spring Valley Wildlife Area, Spring Valley, Ohio © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

American Coot (Fulica americana)

Spring Valley Wildlife Area, Spring Valley, Ohio © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) nesting

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius)

Howard Marsh Metropark, Toledo, Ohio Some of my favorites moments in wildlife photography are like these. Laying out flat on the mudflat when the light hits just right. This lone shorebird was scampering about after I just had witnessed another life bird (Ruddy Turnstone) and was riding that adrenaline rush. © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, Ohio These swans were a life bird for me at the beginning of the trip, however I had probably seen over fifty or more of them in a few days time. One of the easier birds to spot out in the marshes, I have gifted with some photo opportunities fairly often. © 2022 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.