On a chilly March morning, I visited the Indian River Inlet along the Maryland coast for the first time and was immediately struck by the sheer number of birds packed between the two long rock jetties. Hundreds of ducks filled the inlet, with Black Scoters especially abundant and constantly on the move. I walked out along the jetty until the sun was at my back, giving me clean light as the birds flew in to land. Watching them approach was endlessly entertaining — wings spread wide to slow down, feet dropped just above the surface, then a brief moment of "surfing" as they skimmed across the water before coming to a stop. By staying in one spot and paying attention to angles and timing, I was able to capture the full landing sequence from approach to splashdown, one of those dynamic behaviors that really comes alive when seen frame by frame.
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