Sanderlings are the sweet little shorebirds that most know for chasing the waves back into the sea. They dart about following out going waves looking for food deposited by the wave. While on migration, some establish a small, temporary territory, much like grouse and prairie chickens and defend any intrusion by other Sanderlings. I have seen these “fights” for decades and have tried and tried to get the conflict on film. It’s a challenge as they happen and end so fast. I finally did lying on the sand of Bolivar Flats so now I have images that show that they are not so nice. (be sure to look at the series below)

The blinders were off when I was in Costa Rica. While I had my mind on photographing just the Snowcap, all the color bouncing about reminded me there was a lot more than just hummingbirds and this is one of those colors. The Common Tody Flycatcher is a unique bird that I found to be anything, but common. About the size of your thumb, the first thing you note about the Tody is, it does its flycatching within bushes. Most flycatchers catch their prey on the wing, launching from a branch and snatching their prey out of the air. The Tody does the same thing but within the confines of a shrub. You see this dash of brilliant yellow and then see it dart in an opposing direction and then back again. It’s quite something. Then there is that bill, the Tody’s is anything but your typical flycatcher bill. Not small or pointed, I thought of it more like that of a platypus’ and when it looked at me, it gave the Tody quite the gesture. It required all the horsepower I had and the speed of the Z 9 to make a still of this greased ball of lightning. I ‘m really into this little cutie! I only saw it in two locations in Costa Rica and able to photograph it at one so to me, the Today is anything but common!