The Ruddy Turnstone is a small wading bird found in and about coastal Carolina. Highly migratory I see these birds around the estuaries in the spring sporting their breeding plummage and during fall and winter in their winter plummage as shown here. With an average life span of nine years these long lived birds are able to breed at two years of age. In the Americas they travel to tundra areas for breeding, wintering along the coast from Massachussets to the southern tip of South America.

The images below, like many of my shorebird photos, were made from my kayak. Many birds are quite tolerant of an approach from the water via the kayak, allowing a photographer to get much closer than one could by approaching from land. The kayak also provides a nice low point of view. While a kayak makes a wonderful platform for many types of wildlife photography and observation there are a number of considerations to keep in mind when using one. Afterall, water and camera gear isn’t the best mix. Be sure to seek proper instruction from a local kayak club or dealership to insure your safety while on the water. You also may want to seek some instruction on kayak photography technique through a program such as my Intro to Kayak Photography workshop.