I’ve had some people asking me why I get up at the crack of dawn to go to Circle B. The answer is “to get there during the great morning light.” So what’s so great about morning light? Compare and contrast the following two pictures. Both feature a Greater Yellowlegs, taken yesterday morning on Heron Hideout, from the same angle. One was taken around 7 in the morning (sunrise was 6:47), and one was taken around 10 as I was leaving the reserve.

See the difference? The picture taken in the bright glow of sunrise has a warmth and golden cast to it. The picture taken at mid-morning still shows a fun bird and a great reflection, but the color of the light is colder.