Waders · Netherlands
Ruff
Kemphaan · Calidris pugnax
Never quite the same bird twice
The Ruff is one of those birds that becomes especially interesting in spring. The males can look remarkably different from one another, with their elaborate breeding plumage appearing in an extraordinary variety of colours and patterns. It is this individuality that makes me look a little more carefully each time I encounter one.
Selected work
Featured photographs
Field notes
My encounters
For me, Ezumakeeg is by far the best place to encounter Ruffs. Their plumage can vary so much from one individual to another that I never get tired of looking through a group. There always seems to be another bird that is more colourful, more unusual, or simply different from the one you were watching a moment before. That variety is what makes this species so fascinating to observe and photograph.