Equalizer Lake Shorebirds
Birds on the Beach - photo by Steve Eckes
It was another fine Colorado spring morning. The sun was peeking over the horizon, The skies were only partly-cloudy and the wind was blustery and in excess of 20 miles per hour. Ok, maybe not so fine with that wind but, it is Colorado in the spring. We decided that we wanted to photograph some shorebirds this morning. We had a couple of locations in mind. But first a quick drive by the local coffee shop for a breakfast burrito and COFFEE. Always a great start to a morning adventure begins. If you want to follow along you can via our Youtube Channel
The first couple of locations that we checked out had no shorebirds for some reason. Our site of last resort was Equalizer Lake in Loveland Colorado. It was a last resort because the sandy/muddy beach that shorebirds liked so much was only exposed when the water was low. With the snowpack melt already starting we weren’t too sure there would be a shoreline for the birds. As we drove by we could see the shoreline was exposed and there was a plethora of birds along the shore.
As is my wont, we started walking along the shore to see if there was a best place to start photographing the birds. We started near the dam and walked between the shore and the trees and walked around the point. Here we were met by the wind. The only shorebird that was nearby on the windward side of the point was a loan killdeer wading in the surf.
Killdeer Wading in the Surf - photo by Steve Eckes
It was here that we spotted three Western Grebes off in a distance. Between the distance of the Grebes from shore and the high waves we didn’t get a good photo of them. With such high waves, we didn’t think there would be any mating rituals today so there was no point in hanging around. We returned the way that we had come to the relative stillness of the bay we first walked along. Here there were many photography opportunities awaiting us.
We had already taken several snapshots of birds as we walked by the first time. Including some great shots of a Great Blue Heron that plopped into the lake next to us. This is where I snapped the clearest photo of a flying Great Heron that I have ever taken. With the light on the bird and its distance from us, I was able to take a photograph that was amazing in my eyes. Check it out here.
On our return trip along the shore, we found a nook next to a fallen tree where we could hunker down beneath an overhang and set up for some serious
photography. I was using a Sony A9 MK II with a 200-600mm lens and Monique was sporting her trusty Sony A1 with her 70-200mm lens. We were somewhat handicapped by having our other 200-600mm in the shop for cleaning and repairs. Monique was also our videographer so she was packing a GoPro, a Sony VX-1, and her phone. There are affiliate links at the bottom of the page if you want to check the specs on what we were using.
Watching the birds wading through the water, flying along the beach, vying for space was an amazing experience. From time to time I would actually forget that I was there to photograph the birds. Then I would remember why I had brought my camera along and return to photographing the birds. Even more amazing was the number of different backgrounds that were available from this position. The beach, the water, the dam across the lake, the snow-covered mountains on the horizon and don’t forget the tree grove right behind us. As the early morning light faded into the bright light of day we finally looked up and made the decision to call it a day and head out for coffee. Don’t forget to check out our Youtube video.
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