Nov 28 2008
Skywatch Friday: Big Sit Sunrise
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! If you live outside the U.S., I know it was just another Thursday, but I still hope you enjoyed family, friends, and good food.
The above shot was taken looking east over the Atlantic Ocean from the hawk watch platform at Cape Henlopen State Park, Delaware, on October 12, 2008. If you’re a birder, you may remember that date as The Big Sit, a friendly competition where birders gather in groups for a day (up to the full 24 hours, if you’re truly rabid) of bird watching and listening, all within a 17-foot circle. It’s kind of nuts, but it’s also a ton of fun.
One of the highlights of the day was seeing the green flash just before sunrise. The above photo didn’t capture it, but I still love the rich orange color of the sky, the single low cloud, and the tiny but visible navigation buoy at the far right.
Below is a shot taken 37 minutes before the first, showing our group silhouetted in the twilight glow. The limp wind sock shows how still it was. The owl, of course, is a fake, meant to lure curious migrating hawks in for a closer view. Sometimes, it works.
We ended our Big Sit around 9:00 PM, with a total of 88 species seen or heard. It was a very satisfying day of good weather, good company, and lots of birds–and for all that, I’m very, very thankful.
For more Skywatch Friday posts from all over, click here.
Truly amazing photos! Happy skywatch
What an amazing orange sky! Beautiful photos.
That red sunset is really striking. I have never seen the green flash and it´s something I would like to see some day.
Wow! The orange of the first shot is amazing and I love the sillouettes of everyone against that beginning of sunrise.
gorgeous colors …love your shots.
thanks for sharing.
That’s the most complimentary color example of sunrise. How lucky you are to see the green flash, and so many birds. Very nice captures.
Superb shot of the sunrise, love how the orange sky just bleeds off the pic! That one needs to go inside a frame!!