The Drainage Pond

Early this morning I carried my digiscoping rig a few blocks from my apartment to the Market Street drainage pond I mentioned yesterday. A single Solitary Sandpiper remained. There were also a few Spotted Sandpipers and Least Sandpipers. The Lesser Yellowlegs must have moved on after last night's storm, but I'm sure there will be more. In addition to shorebirds, a pleasant surprise was watching this magnificent looking Green Heron forage along the pond bank.







Here's a Least Sandpiper:









Some key elements comprising a good digiscoping outdoor studio for shorebirds and other waders: This is a morning location because there's no trail access on the west side of the pond, but the angle on the east side is terrific. A nice mix of mudflats, water, and shoreline for colorful composition and reflections. There's natural cover just a few feet from the trail with several openings to photograph through, allowing you to get close to birds without disturbing them.

All images © 2009 Mike McDowell