Long-billed Curlew capturing and consuming a mud crab

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19 images selected from a total of 82 taken in six bursts of 3 to 25 shots in each burst. Selection was based on the size, position, and clarity of the mud crab being consumed. Olympus OM-1 with 150-400mm F4.5 TC lens at 340 mm (680mm 35mm equivalent), handheld, 1/2000 sec at F5.6, ISO 200. Silent + Sequential Drive, Tracking Subject: Birds. Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, TX, August 11, 2022.

A slightly larger version of each photo can be viewed by clicking on the image.

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David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.