Wandering Tattlers

This is a nemesis species of mine; you can find them occasionally on the Tangle River along the Denali Highway, but they are extremely skittish and seem to have a natural ability to hang out in impossible light, when they are visible at all. Most of a day's work went into this pretty bad shot.

Does anyone have a semi-reliable spot that is semi-accessible? Or suggestions on how to get closer to them? This is a 60% crop, kneeling in the very cold water in chest waders, using my 300mm lens with a 2.0 teleconverter on a Gitzo tripod...

All ideas gratefully accepted.

Jim, I can't help you with a skittish bird on breeding grounds. But, if you ever get down to central or So. Cal., these guys can be pretty easy to work. They hang out in rocky shoreline areas all winter. In early spring, you can get them in breeding plumage. One really good spot in So. Cal. is the Playa del Rey breakwater.

Just ask Neil Losin about this bird.

If you are ever in Washington state, the Westport Jetty on the Washington coast is a pretty reliable spot in winter. I've gotten pretty close to that species there.

Thanks for the tips, Nate and Bob. And it is terrific to hear from you, Bob. Nate is a fine Avian Moderator, but he is sometimes too kind. To the extent my bird photos have improved at all, I owe a great deal to your candid, honest and constructive comments.