Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs - Grand et Petit Chevalier
Very early one morning, in a section of the Ottawa River that was suitable for human traffic, I came across a Lesser Yellowlegs. I wandered out toward it, and it seemed fine with my presence. As I crouched down in the shallow water, I noticed some movement in my peripheral vision, and a Greater Yellowlegs was approaching, hunting for food and equally unconcerned by my squatting in the shallows.
It was a challenge, in terms of light and behaviour. The birds were aware and wary of each other for a bit, and then seemed to team up. By the time I left them, they were moving as a pair. But they never shared anything like focal common ground, and so I tried a bunch of different looks, focusing on each bird for a bit and then switching.
In the end, the Greater won the focus battle with its pointed look in the water and the neat reflection. And I already had a few images of the Lesser by itself, which I may post. Also: I liked how the size difference is expressed in this image, with the Lesser closer to the camera but still considerably smaller in the image.
For a few weeks, the River had very low water levels, enabling adventurous early morning types access to areas that were, and are now, under deep water. It was the first time shorebirds had workable terrain in a few years, and it was a lot of fun to have them visit Ottawa again.
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs - Grand et Petit Chevalier
Very early one morning, in a section of the Ottawa River that was suitable for human traffic, I came across a Lesser Yellowlegs. I wandered out toward it, and it seemed fine with my presence. As I crouched down in the shallow water, I noticed some movement in my peripheral vision, and a Greater Yellowlegs was approaching, hunting for food and equally unconcerned by my squatting in the shallows.
It was a challenge, in terms of light and behaviour. The birds were aware and wary of each other for a bit, and then seemed to team up. By the time I left them, they were moving as a pair. But they never shared anything like focal common ground, and so I tried a bunch of different looks, focusing on each bird for a bit and then switching.
In the end, the Greater won the focus battle with its pointed look in the water and the neat reflection. And I already had a few images of the Lesser by itself, which I may post. Also: I liked how the size difference is expressed in this image, with the Lesser closer to the camera but still considerably smaller in the image.
For a few weeks, the River had very low water levels, enabling adventurous early morning types access to areas that were, and are now, under deep water. It was the first time shorebirds had workable terrain in a few years, and it was a lot of fun to have them visit Ottawa again.