Living in Florida, the seasonal changes are a lot less dramatic than in other parts of the country. While our rain dial can go from 0 in the “winter” to 100 in the summer, our temperature dial usually only goes from 70 to 90. Sometimes we only notice the seasons changing when we must reset our clocks.
As photographers, we need to pay attention to the seasons because the wildlife populations can change dramatically. There are a lot of birds that migrate through the area in late fall and late spring. But there are also many that migrate here and stay for several months. One of those species is the painted bunting. They usually arrive around October and then leave for the Atlantic coastal states by early April. We are fortunate to have several that come to our feeders every year. Getting a good photo of a painted bunting is not easy. So, I decided to find a hidden spot in our back yard and wait for an opportunity to snap some shots before they left again. Patience is the key because it can sometimes be a couple of hours between their visits to the feeder. But getting a good shot is worth the wait.
Fortunately, we have several species that are permanent residents. Two of those species are snail kites and burrowing owls. But, as with all of nature, seasonal changes bring changing behaviors. Springtime is usually the breeding period for many birds. For snail kites, that means congregating in greater numbers and becoming more active. I’ve written about snail kites in the past, but they are always on our list of birds to photograph because they are uncommon and were once on the Federal endangered species list. They are also very entertaining to watch when they feed on their main diet of apple snails. Here are some shots from a recent trip to the Fort Myers area.
Usually, a trip to Fort Myers also means a stop in neighboring Cape Coral, which is known for its population of burrowing owls. These little birds of prey are usually only found in Florida in the eastern United States. They’re one of my favorites to photograph because they are out in the open and very approachable. This was the earliest time that we’d ever been to Cape Coral and the activity level was not as intense as when baby owlets are around, but burrow preparation was underway. Little ones typically appear in late April or early May.
I’ve uploaded more images in the following photo galleries.
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