As we kick off 2026, here is a look back at some of the highlights of 2025. It was a quiet year overall for wildlife photography. The multiple hurricanes of 2024 brought torrential rain and lots of tree damage. This completely changed the migration patterns for countless bird species. The availability of ample water from flooding meant ducks were spread out and often inaccessible. Damage to fruit trees caused many of the beautiful songbirds to change their routes and bypass our area on their way back north in the spring. Hopefully the trees will recover, and the spring migration will improve in 2026. On the flip side, 2025 brought no hurricanes to the state and the resulting lack of rain has shrunk the open water areas and concentrated waterfowl again.
Despite the weather challenges early in the year, some of the usual spots didn’t disappoint. Sometimes the backyard turns out to be a hotspot for good pictures. One of the most colorful songbirds around is the painted bunting. We’re fortunate to have them come to our feeders during the winter months. But they are a challenge to photograph because they are skittish and prefer the security of caged feeders. The goal is to catch them before they jump from the shrubs to the feeder, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Fortunately, after a lot of patience, I was able to find a good spot to finally capture some good shots of them.
Another place that typically provides good scenarios for nice shots of waterfowl during the winter is Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland. The lone trip last year delivered some beautiful images of several species of ducks, including one stunning male redhead duck.
There are a couple of spots in the Fort Myers area that also produced some entertaining days. On one occasion, we headed to a preserve on the east side of Fort Myers to photograph rare snail kites. That day we observed 7 snail kites grabbing snails in the flood-control channels. On a typical day, we may see 2 or 3 kites, so this day was a definite success.
The day also included a couple of stops in Cape Coral to check on the local population of burrowing owls. While it was early in the year, there were owls out and they always pose for some great shots.
Another one of our favorite places for owls is in the Sebring area along an old dirt farm road called Ten Mile Grade. Depending on the time of year, the barred owls are more active, and a little patience can result in some nice images. The region is all farming. There are many citrus groves, berry farms, and cattle ranches. So, it’s also a good place to see bobwhite quail, barred owls, and crested caracaras. It’s not unusual for us to record over 60 different species of birds on a trip.
In late August, we took a trip to Seattle to see our kids. It was a fabulous visit with lots of fun activities. Our daughter and granddaughter joined us from Japan which was the first time we’ve all been together in several years. The area provided many amazing photography opportunities. There were the expected scenes of the mountains and city attractions like Mount Rainier, the Space Needle and Pike Place Market. Daily trips to Marymoor Park in Redmond were a great start to the day and provided views of wildlife species that are never or rarely seen in our part of the country.
A couple of highlights were excursions to Vashon Island and the little community of Snoqualmie to see the falls. The day we went to Snoqualmie happened to coincide with the annual Snoqualmie Days festival. The main street was lined with vendors, information booths, and food trucks. We opted for a barbeque restaurant called Buckshot Honey and it was delicious.
Vashon Island featured the Point Robinson lighthouse which was built in 1885. It still operates today. Also located in Point Robinson Park is one of the famous wooden troll sculptures of a Danish artist named Thomas Dambo. The sculpture is called Oscar the Bird King. He creates the sculptures from recycled materials. There is a link at the bottom to read more about him and his works. I’m pretty certain this will become an annual trip for us as it was a wonderful reunion in a beautiful place.
Motorsports was the theme for photography in 2025. The year started with a trip across the state to Daytona for the Roar Before the Rolex 24. In addition to the regular teams on in the IMSA series, the 24-hour endurance race brings together talented drivers from many other series including IndyCar, F1, and NASCAR.
Next was the IndyCar season opener just up the road in St. Petersburg. It’s always a time of excitement because it’s the first look at new teams, drivers, and sponsors. The street course along Tampa Bay is a beautiful venue and the weather is usually superb.
But the highlight of 2025 was a trip to the Indy 500 in May. Thanks to a conversation with a friend on the Andretti team in St. Petersburg, a dialogue started with the head of the IndyCar photography team. After a string of emails and phone calls, I was able to get media credentials for the month of May. It was an unforgettable event of a lifetime. Being able to photograph my nephew working on the pit crew for 4-time winner Helio Castroneves was marvelous.
As we leave 2025 behind, it’s time to look forward to 2026. Another trip to Daytona is scheduled for January to watch the IMSA sports cars race as is a visit to St. Petersburg for the opening of the IndyCar season. In March, the IMSA cars return to Florida for the famous 12 Hours of Sebring and in April, the PGA tour comes to Lakewood Ranch for the Senior PGA Championship.
With the absence of hurricanes last year and a prolonged lack of significant rainfall, 2026 looks like it could be a good year for wildlife, especially waterfowl. Some of our favorite spots are reporting good numbers of ducks. Hopefully the fruit trees favored by migratory songbirds will have recovered enough by April to provide the berries they need to fuel their flights home. The painted buntings have returned. We are currently feeding 3 brilliant males and 1 female. There are a few other rarities around the state which may trigger a road trip. Stay tuned for more stories throughout the year and thanks for following us.
https://www.thomasdambo.com/
https://vashonparks.org/point-robinson
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