sand – Mia McPherson's On The Wing Photography

Laughing Gulls

By Mia McPherson|December 17th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County|Tags: beach, bird ID, breeding plumage, coast, coastal, gull, gulls, lagoon, Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, nonbreeding plumage, portrait, sand, water|

Laughing Gulls are quite common on the east and Gulf coastlines of the US, during breeding season they are usually found near saltwater but in nonbreeding season they are known to wander widely.

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Ghost Crab

By Mia McPherson|November 28th, 2010|Categories: Florida, Ghost Crabs, Honeymoon Island State Park|Tags: adult, beach, burrow, coast, coastal, Ghost Crab, Gulf Coast, nature photography, Ocypode quadrata, sand, wildlife photography|

This Ghost Crab image was taken on the Gulf coast of Florida while I still lived there.

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Shorebirds of Fort DeSoto – Ruddy Turnstones

By Mia McPherson|October 31st, 2010|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: adult, Arenaria interpres, beach, bird ID, breeding, coast, coastal, foraging, Gulf of Mexico, male, nonbreeding, Ruddy Turnstone, sand, shorebird, shorebirds, turnstone, turnstones|

One of the easier medium-sized shorebirds to identify on Fort De Soto's beaches and tidal mudflats are the Ruddy Turnstones. The only other turnstone that frequents North America is the Black Turnstone and it occurs on the Pacific coast.

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Rotation Adjustments – Sanderling At Dawn

By Mia McPherson|October 26th, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Sanderlings|Tags: autumn, beach, bird photography, Calidris alba, coastal, coastal island, fall, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, low light, nonbreeding plumage, rotation adjustment, sand, Sanderling, sanderlings, shore, shorebird, shoreline, water, waves|

Proper rotation can make an image work. Improper rotation can cause the the person viewing to wonder what isn't right about an image.

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Hungry Yellow-crowned Night Heron

By Mia McPherson|August 22nd, 2010|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Ghost Crabs, Pinellas County, Yellow-crowned Night Herons|Tags: adult, beach, coast, coastal, crab, eat, eating, feeding, Ghost Crab, Gulf of Mexico, herons, hunting, nature, Nyctanassa violacea, Ocypode quadrata, sand, stalking, wading bird, wading birds, water, Yellow-crowned Night Heron|

It didn't take long for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron to grab the crab and send the sand flying.

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