![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-8537-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"spotted-sandpiper-8537-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nI find flight shots of these little ‘teeter-bobs’ difficult to come by but recently I took advantage of a known behavior to get one. I actually got two of them but ‘his’ face was mostly covered by his wing in the other one.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/4000, f,5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Three days ago this Spotted Sandpiper took an extended bath in a stream in the Wasatch Mountains. The ‘Spotty’ wasn’t particularly close and my shooting angle was steep but I can never resist firing bursts during this frenzied activity just to see what I’ll get with wings and tail thrown askew and water drops flying in every direction. As usual some of my best shots were largely ruined by closed eyes\/nictitating membranes or having his head underwater but it’s always fun to try.<\/p>\n Usually this species is just too fast and erratic in flight for me to get flight shots. But after bathing they have a tendency to make a short hopping flight to the nearest shore to preen and dry off so my intention was to see if I could be quick enough with my shutter finger to catch him during that short flight soon after he launched. I could predict which direction he’d likely go and he wouldn’t go far so that gave me a much better chance to keep him in frame.<\/p>\n Whenever I make such attempts something usually goes wrong but…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f,5.6, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n this time I got lucky. I caught him in a flight posture I like, I didn’t clip any body parts, he’s sharp enough, there’s light in his eye and if you look closely there’s even flying water drops.<\/p>\n And I love his discombobulated shadow on the muddy shore.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I find flight shots of these little ‘teeter-bobs’ difficult to come by but recently I took advantage of a known behavior to get one I like.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/spotted-sandpiper-8550-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"spotted-sandpiper-8550-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\n