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Steve_E
12-17-2009, 09:38 PM
While photographing some Osprey this dispute developed nearby between two Sanderlings. Not something I've come to expect from these passive and busy shorebirds.

Canon 1D Mark II / 500L / Wimberley II and Tripod

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Nighthd/Bird%20Photography/sandfight2-1.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Nighthd/Bird%20Photography/sandfight-1.jpg

The Take Down
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Nighthd/Bird%20Photography/sandfight3cc.jpg
artsnimages
12-17-2009, 11:05 PM
Those are fantastic Steve! Yep even the little guys can get down and dirty! They are not as passive as you think! Up here, during the Horseshoe Crab spawn we have thousands of shorebirds and they can get quite rowdy!

Jim
Idlewild
12-18-2009, 05:50 AM
Awesome stuff!
Squatty
12-18-2009, 07:13 AM
these sort of remind me of the two big white birds when they went rounds that we got to see back in the summer.

You better get busy putting together that book we talked about!
jckegley
12-18-2009, 10:08 AM
Nice action shots. Wish I could get more of that.

I notice a difference in the head color of the two birds. Is that gender differences, or is that an adult versus an immature thing?
rpearce12
12-18-2009, 10:31 AM
Way to be in the right place at the right time! Great shots.
dddenton
12-18-2009, 11:07 AM
Great job catching all that action - It would have been cool to just watch these two.
rkemmerlin
12-18-2009, 11:26 AM
Steve, great series, the action of the birds makes keeping the birds in the frame and not clipping the wings very difficult. I think the raised back feathers in the second image represents an aggressive display for Sanderlings when defending a feeding area during breeding season.
Steve_E
12-18-2009, 09:16 PM
Thanks everyone for the kind comments.

Joe, I'm fairly certain the difference between the two is a variation in breeding color possible due to age. The Sanderlings are very pale outside of the breeding season but really put on the rusty color when it's show time.

Robert, thanks for the info. It was interesting to see the smaller/weaker of the two coming back for more even after being whipped several times. It eventually got the message.