The semipalmated Plover is a small bird somewhat resembling a Killdeer. Eating insects, worms and crustaceans, these birds seach for food along beaches and on tidal flats. These photos were made near Beaufort Inlet in late June, 2010.

There are certanin large wading birds I always love to see. However, those birds also are some of most skiddish birds found around the Crystal Coast. A couple that are always especially hard to get a shot of are Reddish Egrets and Little Blue Herons… though admittedly the more common Great Blue Heron and Great Egret can be pretty tough to get close to as well. I also find getting within camera range of Snowy Egrets to be particularly challenging. Even though the kayak helps, allowing you to get a bit closer than you could using a land approach, it doesn’t take much to spook these guys. Here are a few shots from my last couple of kayak outings where I happened to get lucky.

The Least Tern is the smallest of the terns found along North Carolina’s coast. A migratory bird, the Least Tern spends its winters in Central America and the Carribean. In the spring they return to coastal areas of North America to reproduce. With a population of about 21,500 pairs this little bird isn’t listed as “threatened” or endangered,” though in some of the states where it breeds it is consedered a “threatened” species. They are vunerable to predators and high tides along the U.S. East Coast. Of course human disturbance of nesting areas can also be a problem. Be mindful of restricted areas on local beaches that are marked to protect shorebird nesting areas. A fast and shy little bird, I found these guys quite challenging to photograph. Patience and a slow, low approach seems to work best.