From: "carenp" <carenp at totalise.co.uk>


> i have to say, your photos are beautiful and the subjects crisp and
clean...
> however, i have to ask: how close to your subjects are you getting,
> especially for the smaller birds or the peeps (which tend not to allow
> anyone to get remotely close to them)?

The old adage, "Location, location, location" makes a universe of
difference. You can get extremely close to peeps if you find the right spot
and are very, very, very patient. I cannot recommend Thomas Pond,
http://www.waders.org/locations/washington/thomas/index.html or the W-90
ponds, http://www.waders.org/locations/washington/samish/index.html highly
enough. They are unbeatable places to photograph shorebirds. Thomas Pond has
the edge since it is smaller and the birds are used to noise and disturbance
due to the proximity of Highway 167. You will need to sit in one spot for
about an hour until the birds get used to your presence. After that they
will come in really close if you can keep the blood circulating in your legs
long enough. I've had least sandpiper walk between my legs and a spotted
sandpiper try and climb over my boot ! Often the birds are too close to
digiscope,. Using 35mm equipment, I'd expect to be able to take great
photos, paricularly since you will have far superior resolution and so can
enlarge the images more effectively.

For examples of the photographs you can "expect" take a look at the home
page, www.waders.org - the shot of the spotted sandpiper was taken at Thomas
Pond - it is not cropped - though it took a couple of days trying. Also in
the gallery my best photographs of semi-palmated plover,
http://www.waders.org/gallery/waders/sepl/0.html and semi-palmated
sandpiper, http://www.waders.org/gallery/waders/sesa/0.html were taken at
Thomas Pond.

Stuart
--
Stuart MacKay, Seattle, WA