Florida offers so many opportunities to explore. We’ll chronicle our encounters with nature and interesting places and share our stories about the fun events we attend.
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Marsh Birds
The area marshes have become vacation destinations for many migratory birds. Again, this year we have been so fortunate to see yellow-headed blackbirds and bronzed cowbirds, among the many species enjoying their temporary stays. Another bird that has managed to work its way into the area from the southeastern part of the state is the
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Reddish Egret
One bird that has become a favorite of photographers is a reddish egret. They are acrobatic feeders. There is one that people search for at Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg. If you find a group of people in the tidal flats, you can generally figure that a reddish egret is the focus of their
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Rosies
One of the most cherished birds to photograph in Florida is the roseate spoonbill. The beautiful pink colors are always stunning to see. People from around the world visit Florida on photography tours just to see the spoonbills. They are particularly colorful this time of year as breeding season is underway. A few more pictures
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Active Owls
A few weeks ago, we headed out to look for owls. They are active now as the breeding season is underway. Our trip took us to the Sebring area and to Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County. We had success finding barred owls in both areas and also found a pair of great horned
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Eagle Nesting Season is Underway
The bald eagles are back, and nesting season has begun. Last week we headed to our favorite nest site and watched the eagles continue repairing and rebuilding their nest that blew down over the summer. When reports of the nest falling started rippling through the rumor mills, it was easy to wonder if the birds
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Sometimes It’s Just About the Color
The other day I was in our back yard with one of our little dogs when a large Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly landed on one of our bougainvillea bushes. My first reaction was “wow” the colors of the butterfly and the flowering shrub were amazing. Thankfully, the butterfly liked the pollen on the flowers and
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Heading Toward Fall
Summer is beginning to wind down for many, including wildlife. It seems in Florida that summer is the time to catch up with things like editing and organizing photos and finishing projects that need to be done around the house. While summer is generally quieter for wildlife photography, there are species that we only see
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Common Mynas
One of the ecological issues in Florida that often goes underreported is the impact of non-native, invasive species on native wildlife populations. The one species that gets most of the airtime is the Burmese Python which has had a huge effect on the Everglades. But there are countless other animals that have been introduced to
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Black-bellied Whistling Ducks
A duck that is common in our area but seldom seen in the rest of the country other than southern Texas and southern Arizona is the black-bellied whistling duck. A few things make them easy to identify in the air. First is their distinctive call. They sound much like a wood duck with more of
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U.S. Navy Blue Angels
Last weekend the U.S. Navy Blue Angels performed at the Great Florida Air Show in Melbourne. My friend and fellow photographer, Art Nadelman and I made the 3-hour drive to see the show. The weather was good, and the performances were great. In addition to the Blue Angels, other acrobats included the U.S. Air Force
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Crested Caracaras
It’s always a thrill to see a Crested Caracara. They are a Federally designated threatened species so sightings are not real common. Caracaras are usually only found in parts of Florida, Texas and Arizona in the United States. Their range is mainly in Mexico, Cuba and Central America. They feed on dead animals like vultures
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Moon Over the Skyway
This past Monday there was a full “Super” moon. A super moon occurs during the full moon’s closest approach to Earth. As luck would have it, the path of the moonrise allowed for photos of the moon between the spans of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It took a little planning but with some collaboration with