Cape Cod

Summer 2009

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Adventures

 

 Ever since I was a child growing up in Amherst, Massachusetts I have made regular visits to Cape Cod. My earliest recollection of the cape is camping at the Cape Cod National Seashore, but I have no idea which camping area it was. All I remember is the sand, the low trees, and the sound of the ocean at night. In 1997 my interest in the cape switched from purely recreational to professional when I started writing my column. Since then I have made regular visits to the outer cape with cameras in hand and eyes open for new stories to tell.

First Encounter Beach

The one place that I always visit, this area has the unusual distinction of having such shallow water that the low tide exposes sand flats for as far as the eye can see. This area is not only beautiful, but rich in marine life and full of birds trying to take advantage.

Summer Sunset

This sunset was taken at First Encounter Beach while out was out for an exploratory evening drive with my mother. There was a gentle breeze on a warm evening and by playing around with the settings on my camera I was able to capture the scene as it really looked. Every time I see this photo I want to jump into my time machine and go back to that evening.

Low Tide!

The birds are the highlight of Cape Cod. A day at the beach is all fine and dandy, but a day at the beach with a camera allows me to focus my attention on the beauty of the natural world. This immature greater black-backed gull was foraging for food when it came upon a poorly-concealed crab that had been stranded by the low water.

7th Inning Stretch

A day later I went back to the same general area and found a mixed flock of shorebirds that had returned from their Arctic breeding grounds early. This yellowlegs allowed my to consistently get within 70 feet and after two hours of spending time together it started to relax enough to let me record some interesting behavior. The trick to this photo was lots of patience and a huge telephoto lens.

Copyright 2011 William Danielson