Shorebird Workshop
Available
Dates:
August 23-24, 2008
Fee: $600/weekend
Deposit: $200
Limit: 4 Participants per weekend
From:
Conneaut, Ohio
On the shores of Lake Erie is a small
and humble town called Conneaut. The name Conneaut, to birders, immediately
brings to mind the small bit of land jutting into the harbor, the
end consists of mud and sand. This spit of land attracts many water
sport enthusiasts along with a small number of birds - so what makes
it special? While there may only be 20 - 400 interesting birds on
the sand spit at any given time, the area allows the photographer
to approach with great light angles in both morning and evening, get
close to the birds, and if you get low to the ground, include fantastic
backgrounds consisting of distant breakwalls and marsh grasses. There's
also wonderful species variety here. Despite its humble appearance,
I actually prefer making shorebird images here to both Cape May, New
Jersey and Fort De Soto, Florida.
I'll show you where to be and when, how to approach the somewhat flighty
birds, what angle and direction to shoot, tricks on how to get the
perfect pose, etc. We usually walk away with 500 - 1000 images per
day of which one in thirty or so are keepers. Some species we may
be able to photograph include:
- American Avocet
- Buff-breasted
Sandpiper
- Least Sandpiper
- Semi-palmated
Sandpiper
- White-rumped
Sandpiper
- Baird's Sandpiper
- Pectoral Sandpiper
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Short-billed
Dowitcher
- Sanderling
- Red Knot
- American Golden
Plover
- Black-bellied
Plover
- Semi-palmated
Plover
- Great Blue
Heron
- Herring Gull
- Ring-billed
Gull
- Bonaparte's
Gull
- Forster's Tern
- Caspian Tern
- Bank Swallow
Travel considerations:
- Days
Inn Conneaut
600 Days Blvd, Conneaut, OH 44030 phone: 440-593-6000 - features
Free Continental Breakfast, Free Wireless High Speed Internet, Seasonal
Outdoor Pool, Meeting and Banquet space for up to 140, Game Room,
Truck, Bus and RV Parking and a Jacuzzi Suite.
What you need:
You'll want your longest lens for this
tour. Anything less than 400mm will probably be inadequate. Also wear
clothes which can get a little sandy or muddy, and shoes that can
get wet. If you prefer to stay clean we can concentrate on getting
good reflections and gull flight shots, but my favorite shots from
Conneaut are usually a result of getting low to the ground and getting
a little dirty. Be prepared to photograph with your camera near to
the ground - twelve inches or lower is best. Bring a short stool,
chair, or bleacher cushion if you need to.
- camera body
- long lens for bird photography
- tripod, skimmer, or groundpod
- flash
- water bottle for extra drinks during
the day
- It's cool in the morning and evening
- a sweater or jacket might come in handy
- extra storage for digital photos (like
your laptop computer)
Contact Matthew Studebaker for
your reservation today!
Make Checks out to "Matthew
Studebaker" or pay via paypal
13023 County Line
Rd Unit D
Chesterland, Ohio 44026
440.423.0875
matthewstudebaker@yahoo.com
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