Snowy Plover

Shorebirds are my favorite subjects, but I've struggled to capture anything but run-of-the-mill images of this species. Snowies aren't particularly striking in any plumage, and they spend the majority of their time hunkered in sandy divots and footprints, usual along the edge of the dunes. This bird was doing exactly that, but thick smoke from inland forest fires created amazing atmospheric color as the setting sun shined through it. By getting hella low and crawling towards the subject, I was able to capture this bird peaking over a small ridge with the incredible sky behind. Though only a fraction of the bird is visible, I think this image is more memorable than my traditional, full-body shots of this species.

Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, California, 8/18/21
Canon 100-400 IS II on EOS 7D Mark II
1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 800