Florida Gulf Coast Creations

Tag: Barred Owl

  • Hurricane Update

    Hurricane Update

    It has been an active hurricane season with 3 storms affecting us since early August. Hurricane Debby kicked things off with incredible rain. Despite making landfall in the big bend region as only a category 1 storm, our area received over 15 inches which caused a lot of flooding. In fact, several streets in our subdivision were impassible for a couple of days. That had never happened before. Next up in late September was hurricane Helene which again made landfall in the big bend region but as a category 4 storm. The storm surges from Helene devastated our coastal areas. There were piles of sand on Anna Maria Island that reminded me of the snow piles from Midwest winter storms. Helene went on to destroy many areas in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. We experienced moderately strong winds, but since we are about 15 miles from the beaches, we didn’t encounter any of the surge, and our rainfall was only about half of that with hurricane Debby. Just 2 weeks later hurricane Milton came ashore in Sarasota as a strong category 3 storm. It was a direct hit for our area and was definitely the most powerful storm we have faced since moving to Florida almost 10 years ago. There was significant damage and loss of power in the area. Despite the intensity of the storm, we came through in pretty good shape. There were lots of branches and leaves to clean up and a couple of smaller trees that needed to be straightened and staked. Several tiles from our roof were blown off. There was a lot of dirt and mulch that needed to be cleaned from the lanai, but no screen damage. We were more fortunate than many others.

    Back Yard After Hurricane Milton
    Our Back Yard the Morning After Hurricane Milton

    Last week after getting things cleaned up from the storm, my good friend Art and I visited the Sebring area again. I’ve written about the area several times in the past. It was amazing to see debris piles as far as 50 miles inland. Unfortunately, our citrus crop may take yet another hit this year. We saw several groves with oranges all over the ground after being blown off by the strong winds.

    I have added a few more shots from the day in the following galleries:

  • Sebring

    Sebring

    Last week right before hurricane Helene decided to wreak havoc on our area, my friend Art and I took a ride over by Sebring. It’s an area that we like to visit because of the diverse landscape. Most of the region is comprised of large farms with citrus groves, and a lot of cattle ranches. But there are also roads that go through hardwood forests and swamps. We typically find a wide variety of wildlife. It seems like every trip provides some kind of pleasant surprise.

    On this day we found almost 60 different species of birds. During his last trip to Sebring, Art came across a family of endangered Florida Scrub Jays. We hoped that they hadn’t moved on to a different area. Fortunately, they were still there. I’ve posted about scrub jays in the past if you would like to read more. They are amiable and curious birds that will often come to calls.

    Scrub Jay Hopping Around In Magnolia Tree
    Florida Scrub Jay Hopping Around in a Magnolia Tree

    One of our nice surprises of the day happened early in our trip. We came across a beautiful red-headed woodpecker that was picking bugs off a fence post. We usually find them up in the trees but rarely down low. This bird would fly back and forth from the post to a large pine tree, and it gave us some nice poses.

    Red Headed Woodpecker Perched On Fence Post
    Red-headed Woodpecker Perched on a Fence Post

    Agricultural land is often a good place to find crested caracaras. This trip was no exception. We saw several. But the best action happened when we spotted two sitting on top of a tall utility pole. They stayed for a few minutes then flew off, but quickly returned. It gave us a chance to get some good flight pictures. Caracaras seem to be more trusting of people than other birds of prey. Maybe because they are scavengers and are often around farm workers and machinery.

    Crested Caracara Lands On Top Of Telephone Pole
    Crested Caracara Lands on Top of a Telephone Pole

    There were meadowlarks everywhere on this trip. We saw dozens of them. Their distinctive calls seemed endless. After reviewing photos, there were several juveniles so it must have been a good nesting season. The early morning sun really highlighted their bright yellow breasts and provided for some good photos.

    Juvenile Meadowlark Perched On Top Of Weed
    Juvenile Eastern Meadowlark Perched on Top of a Weed

    Finally, a trip to this area wouldn’t be complete without an encounter with some owls. There is a spot we found a couple of years ago that we know is home to some barred owls. Certain times of the year they will respond to a call. On this day, a pair came to check out our call. While one of the owls stayed hidden among the palm fronds, the other perched on an outer frond to see what to see what the noise was about. It stayed for several minutes and gave us some good photo opportunities.

    Barred Owl Resting On Palm Frond
    Barred Owl Resting on a Palm Frond

    Other birds we saw were many sandhill cranes, egrets, herons, wild turkeys, hawks, and even a bald eagle. It was a good day. A few more pictures from the trip are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, please visit the galleries listed.

  • Summer Update

    Summer Update

    Summer in Florida is the time of year when photography gets slow. While there are several species of birds that migrate here for the summer months, we start getting anxious for the fall and winter migrations. It’s a good time of the year for butterflies. Unfortunately, it’s also our rainy season and mosquitoes love the water. Venturing out in the early mornings before the heat kicks in is often prime time for bugs.

    Summer is also the time to pull out all the camera equipment, get everything cleaned and refreshed, and decide what needs to be updated and what is no longer needed. In my case, I sold some items and upgraded one of my camera bodies. It turned out to be a good move because the focusing system on the new Canon R6 Mark II is really something, especially for anything that is flying.

    Finally, summer is a great time to go back through old photos and clean up the hard drives. It’s a project that needs to be done from time to time because the photos keep piling up. Also, with software updates being introduced, some older photos can be brought back to life. There’s plenty to do to stay busy without being in the field.

    Recently we went out to practice with the new gear. One trip took us to the farming area near Sebring where we saw many more birds than expected. Our best encounter was with a pair of barred owls.

    Barred Owl Perched On Dead Palm Stump
    Barred Owl Perched on a Palm Stump

    A few days later we traveled over to Lake Wales to visit Bok Tower Gardens hoping that all the flowers would bring in some hummingbirds. We saw two, but the stars of the day were the butterflies. They were everywhere and made for an enjoyable opportunity to play with the new features on the cameras. We will likely head back to Bok Tower Gardens later this year when the hummingbirds return for the winter.

    Zebra Longwing About To Land On Firebush
    Zebra Longwing Butterfly About to Land on a Firebush

    A few more pictures from these journeys are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, please visit the galleries listed.

  • Myakka River Wildlife Destination

    Myakka River Wildlife Destination

    Myakka River State Park is a wildlife and nature gem. Located in eastern Sarasota County, it is one of the largest parks in Florida with over 37,000 acres. The Myakka River flows through the park and creates a variety of lakes, ponds, and flooded marshlands. Because of the diverse terrain, the park is home to a huge variety of wildlife.

    There are many types of migrating birds that spend the winter and spring months in the park including several species of waterfowl. It’s also a good place to find roseate spoonbills which are one of the most desired birds for photos in the state.

    Roseate Spoonbill Flying By
    Roseate Spoonbill Flying By

    A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

  • Active Owls

    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 owls near Sebring. It was a fun day as the owls were very active which enabled us to get some rare flight pictures.

    Barred Owl Taking Off From Pine Tree
    Barred Owl Taking Off from a Pine Tree

    Our next photo shoot with the owls will surely include babies as many eggs have already hatched.

    For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.

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