
Ever since I got my Nikon AFS 200-500 5.6 VR, I have been finding all sorts of birds to photograph. I’ve never considered myself a birder, nor am I very good at identifying them. Generally, I use Google image search, or (forgive me) chatGPT to help me identify them. Once I do, I do try to learn a bit about whatever I am photographing. More importantly though, when I decided I want to find a specific bird, I do now go out of my way to learn more about their habits. It’s good practice, and honestly will help you get the shots you want.
This was not one of those moments. I simply was on a walk with my camera, and saw this guy standing on the railroad tracks near the path. It looked silly, and I liked the negative space, so I clicked a picture. It’s nothing special, it’s a relatively common bird in our area, but it was still fun seeing it. I had not seen a Killdeer before, so I was curious what it was. Now though, I really do believe that planning your trip and researching your subject will indeed give you a leg to stand on when heading out.