California obviously has many beaches as the state sits adjacent to the the Pacific Ocean. The beach near my accommodation in San Francisco was habitat for a number of wading birds.
At low tide several "waders" make their way along the shoreline feeding between wave surges for mollusks (bi-values) and worms.
To capture these images I hiked to the beach just before dawn and waited in the cold winter morning for the sun to peak above the sand dune. As soon as the rays struck across the beach the birds were illuminated in a soft morning glow. I always find the best times to shoot are early morning and late afternoon where you can take advantage of "golden hour" (the time of day 1 hour after/before sunrise/sunset).