A shorebird flock lifts off

Great Salt Lake’s shallow, mineral-rich shoreline supports staggering numbers of migrating shorebirds each spring, and this flock lifted off all at once, hundreds of birds wheeling together over the water in the tight, synchronized way shorebird flocks do when startled.

Why it matters

Great Salt Lake is one of the most important shorebird stopover sites in the Western Hemisphere — several species pass through in numbers that represent a significant share of their entire continental population, drawn by the lake’s brine shrimp and brine fly larvae.

Getting the shot

A fast shutter froze the flock mid-wheel without turning the individual birds into a blur. At this distance and density, the shot is really about the shape and motion of the whole flock rather than any single bird.