Author: Gary Walker
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New Home For a Threatened Species
About 20 miles east of here is a small state park that is probably unknown to the majority of people who drive past it everyday. But to bird enthusiasts, it is destined to become a hotspot to visit. According to my friend Art Nadelman, the state of Florida recently released almost 60 Florida scrub jays.…
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Fort Myers Area
Summer is usually not the best time for wildlife photography in Florida. The hot and humid weather is a pretty good deterrent to getting out. Summer is our rainy season which means dodging thunderstorms and the added moisture wakes up the bugs, especially mosquitoes! Despite the many reasons to stay inside, there are some unique…
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Spring Update
Back on March 22, I wrote about the spring bird migration approaching. From everything I’ve seen, heard and read, the season for the colorful tanagers, orioles, and warblers has been rather disappointing for our region. It would seem that several factors contributed to a lackluster migration. Much of our coastal habitats were destroyed during the…
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Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In
This past weekend I attended the 52nd annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In at Lindner International Airport in Lakeland. Every year I circle the dates on my calendar and this year it all came together. Sun ‘n Fun is one of the largest aviation gatherings in North America, drawing massive crowds and a wide range of…
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Changes in the Air
The transition to our summer season for birds is beginning. It’s mid-March and almost all the robins have departed on their journey north. Likewise, the little hooded mergansers that usually populate the many small ponds in the area have left for their northern nesting grounds. As the weeks go by, more ducks will head out…
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The 2026 IndyCar Season Begins in Florida
Last weekend, the IndyCar series kicked off their 2026, 18 race schedule with the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. I had the privilege of obtaining media credentials for the weekend, which gave me access to areas around the track that I’ve never had before, and it was incredible. On Sunday, during…
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2026 Roar Before the Rolex 24
The 2026 racing season is underway. We kicked it off with a trip over to Daytona International Speedway to shoot the Roar Before the Rolex 24. The Roar is a 3-day practice session for teams preparing for the Rolex 24, the iconic 24-hour endurance race. It seems like every year the Roar manages to land…
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2025 Year in Review
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…
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Sunny in Seattle
We just returned from 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. After spending many years aboard airplanes, I have to call out Delta Airlines…
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109th Indianapolis 500
One of my ambitions as a photographer came true this past weekend. I got to attend the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 as a credentialed media person and photograph all the activities during race weekend. All 250,000 grandstand seats were sold out for the first time since 2008 and the Speedway expected another 100,000…
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Backyard Birds
Sometimes the best place to photograph nature can be right in the back yard. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful yard filled with colorful flowering shrubs and nice trees. The shrubbery provides excellent cover for birds, rabbits, and squirrels and their flowers attract a wide variety of butterflies and often hummingbirds. When the…
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Farmland of Central Florida
One of our favorite areas to visit for the wide variety of plants and wildlife is the agricultural region of Hardee County, Florida. The area is a vast expanse of farms growing citrus, blueberries, tomatoes and other vegetables, and cattle. Separating the farms are areas of swamp and forests. The diversity of the land is…