Shots This Week: Florida Shorebirds

There’s something incredibly grounding about spending time with wildlife, even if the images aren’t destined for a gallery. This week’s outings were more about presence than perfection — and I’m okay with that.

Northern Mockingbird

📍Northern Mockingbird – Windmark Beach
Perched high on a native heart pine near the Gulf Coast, this Northern Mockingbird was busy hunting for food, likely for a nearby nest. I watched as it darted back and forth, determined and focused. Sometimes the most “common” birds offer the most rewarding moments when you slow down to really observe them.

Ruddy Turnstone on the beach

📍 Ruddy Turnstone – Cape San Blas
Along the tide line at Cape San Blas, this Ruddy Turnstone walked across the wet sand, perfectly framed by the shimmer of broken shells. They’re bold, slightly goofy, and alwaysfun to photograph.

Sanderling walking along trying to find food

📍 Sanderling – Cape San Blas
Right nearby, a Sanderling walked along the water’s edge, constantly in motion. These little shorebirds are challenging to photograph — always moving, always alert — but their patterns and behaviors are so fun to capture when the lighting cooperates.

None of these shots are technically flawless, and that’s okay. Photography is documentation. It’s storytelling. And it’s practice. And this week’s story is about coastal wind, patient birds, and the little moments that are easy to overlook.

Whether it’s dogs, wildlife, or product work — this is the space where it all comes together.