John Stumbos  

Brunch on the Bay by John Stumbos

December 2025 - Brunch on the Bay

About the Image(s)

During Thanksgiving this year, I had the good fortune to go visit friends in Sonoma County. We drove down to the coast near Bodega Bay and were treated to a variety of birds, as well as a lot of families out enjoying a sunny, mild afternoon just before the big day. I saw many of these birds with long beaks poking around in the sand for something to eat. Very entertaining. I believe this is a marbled godwit. Please correct me my birding friends if I got it wrong.

I didn't have my usual set up. Image shot with a Canon Rebel T7 with a 75-300 Canon lens @ 300 mm/ Exposure: 1/400 sec, f/11, ISO 200. Processed in Adobe Camera Raw. Image sharpened a bit, as this isn't my best lens and these birds scurry about rather quickly. Made the usual adjustments to even out the exposure and preserve color balance in shadows and highlights.

Got to keep this short today, as I'm heading out of town tomorrow and have a lot of packing etc. to do. But I didn't want to miss my last opportunity to contribute to this fabulous group of photographers. I am grateful for all of you and appreciate your comments. They have helped me to elevate my photography skills. Thank you! Best wishes for a fabulous 2026.

3 comments posted

Leslie Larson   Leslie Larson
Looks like a marbled godwit to me. They are entertaining to watch wielding those long bills. The bird looks good but the water in the foreground is a little odd. Perhaps over-processed? You were dealing with a tough lighting situation.   Posted: 12/10/2025 03:59:19
Sarita Yeola   Sarita Yeola
Nice shot of the Marbled Godwit. They are entertaining to watch. Because of the harsh light there is a purple fringe around the bird and the water. You could easily get rid of it by using the defringe slider on the purple color.   Posted: 12/10/2025 19:32:09
Peter Dominowski   Peter Dominowski
Agree with the others about the tough lighting.

If processing allows, I'd love to see more detail of the bird.

Also, since the bird is moving from left to right, it would be great to have the bird farther to the right, to give it 'room' to keep walking to the left.

Hope you have/had a nice time on your out-of-town journey, John, and thanks for you kind words to us fellow photographers.   Posted: 12/12/2025 20:34:54

 

Please log in to post a comment