Photographing Shorebirds at Stockton Sandspit

While Stockton Sandspit is a haven for birdlife, it can be a challenge for the bird photographer. Knowing your subject’s habits and of course when to visit, will help you capture those shots you’re after.

When to visit SSS to photograph birds???

While anytime is a good time to take photos, if you want to achieve better quality photos you need to have good light and the right tide. The best light for any photography is the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. This time is called the ‘golden hour’ as the light is softer and really highlights natural colours. Tide time is another crucial factor at Stockton Sandspit. Those who visit the location will know that the bird numbers and species present change with the tides. I find that the best time to be there is one or two hours before high tide. This allows you to be on the Sandspit before the bigger waders fly in from the Kooragang Dykes and other locations. My personal, favourite time to visit is when high tide is about an hour or two after sunrise. On these occasions I can be found lying on the ground before sunrise as I like to get out onto the Sandspit in low light while most birds are still at their night roosts. This allows me to get comfortable and setup without disrupting the arriving birds looking for their breakfast.

Where to shoot on SSS???

This really depends on what you want to photograph.

Flight photographs.

The grassy edge above the beach line is a great spot for flight photos as you will encounter waders flying towards you as they approach the sandspit from across the river. Many of the waders do a few laps of the beach and sandspit as they choose where they will land. This location is my favourite spot to photograph the very skittish Eastern Curlews as they fly in low to check out the site.




Feeding behaviour photographs.

A couple of choices here, as it depends on which species you want to capture. For the Godwits and Curlews, I find you need to set up in the same spot as above because they mostly feed along the beach. The only drawback with this is that they prefer to face out to the river and not the shoreline, so a bit of patience will get you some photos as they walk along the beach.
To photograph species such as Spoonbills, Egrets, Herons and Stilts, Big Island is the place to be. One problem with Big Island is that it’s a popular nesting site and this often means you need to keep away to allow the birds their space. When nesting birds are not a problem then the river side of Big Island is the place I choose to set up. This spot will present you with feeding, behaviour, and landing or takeoff shots. Many of the mentioned birds enjoy feeding on the incoming tide as the water rushes in from the river.


How do you get close???

The best tools you can have for shorebird photography are patience and a willingness to get down and dirty. If you draw attention to yourself the birds will fly or run off and this obviously defeats the purpose. Ask me how to get close to birds and my advice is “Be a cow”’. Cows and birds get on fabulously because they trust each other. Cows don’t care about birds, so you need to pretend that you too are not interested in them. Make all movement in slow motion. You will be amazed how close you can get if you take your time and watch the bird’s behaviour for any sign of you encroaching on its personal space. Every time you see a sign of a bird’s awareness of you increasing (head bobbing, upright stance, alert calls, preparing to fly off etc), stop and stay still. Allow the bird to settle and return to its routine. It will gradually get used to your presence and if you’re lucky they will even move towards you for a look.



If you can get down low and put up with the mud, sand, bug bites and those spiky little burrs, then you are well on your way to getting close. Even with no cover on the sandspit you can get very close to species like Godwits, Red-capped Plovers and Pacific Golden Plovers. It’s a great feeling to be accepted by the birds and get photos too.

Lucky’s top tips

1. Remember that the bird’s welfare always come first.

2. Patience is a virtue. It can take quite a while to gain a bird’s trust and be able to get close.

3. Take some food. It’s easy to forget about hunger while you’re taking photos, but it’s also easy to become impatient when all you’re feeling is hungry.

4. Dress in layers. It can be freezing cold in the early morning, but it can heat up quickly.

5. Take lots of photos, but also put the camera down once in a while and enjoy the moment.

6. Crawl in, crawl out. Don’t just stand up and walk off when you’re finished. Back out to a good distance before standing up.