The nesting season is in full force. It seems like there are babies everywhere. We picked one day recently to check on bald eagle nests and found a total of 6 new eaglets in 4 nesting sites! It appears that they are all well on their way to growing into young adults.
Two Juvenile Bald Eagles in Their Nest
There are also many sandhill crane babies around. The colts started appearing several weeks ago and we continue to see youngsters of all sizes. Most owls have grown and left their nests, and many songbirds are building nests or feeding chicks. It’s a busy time that will continue for another couple of months.
Wow! When I looked at the date on my last post, I couldn’t believe it’s been 6 weeks!! There has been plenty going on to keep us busy. But 6 weeks? Shame on me.
During my hiatus from the website, I had the opportunity to get out a few times with the camera and capture some new subjects. I’ll cover those journeys in the next couple of posts.
I also made the leap to a new Canon camera body. After months of research and trial, I finally jumped aboard the new mirrorless camera train. I won’t get into all the technical details, only to say that technology has made some amazing advances in modern cameras. The focusing on the new camera is incredible. It can actually zero in on the eye of an animal and track the animal while it’s moving! Unfortunately, as with all new things, it has so many settings that it will take a while to learn all the capabilities and customize it to my liking. But the good news is I am able to use all of my current lenses with a simple adapter and it works great!
Here are a couple of shots of a red-shouldered hawk from my first time in the field with the new camera. More to come.
Red-shouldered Hawk with a Ruffled Feather on the End of a Branch
Our favorite male painted bunting has been coming to our caged millet feeder since early November. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t see him several times. A couple of weeks ago he surprised us by bringing a buddy to the feeder. Two male painted buntings on the feeder at the same time is quite a sight! The second bunting is now a regular visitor. Hopefully they’ll spread the word and we can attract a female before they head north for the summer.
Male Painted Bunting on the Ground Looking for Grass Seeds
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
One of my favorite places for nature photography in this area is Myakka River State Park in eastern Sarasota county. It is a huge park consisting of 37,000 acres with the Myakka River cutting through the center. Along the way, the river is dammed creating a large lake and vast wetlands. There is a wide variety of wildlife in the park. It’s common to see deer, eagles, ducks, spoonbills, wading birds, turkeys and plenty of alligators.
Black-necked Stilt Flying Low Across the Calm Water
This past week was another great visit. In addition to seeing most of the wildlife listed above, we also came across a large flock of green-winged teal. More to follow in a separate post.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
I spent the last two days photographing a pair of bald eagles with their two new chicks. The nest is in the open, so photo opportunities are amazing. The parents stay busy. We watched them hunt for fish and today they brought back a whistling duck. When they’re not feeding the chicks, they fly off to grab clumps of Spanish moss to line the nest. Like people parents, they occasionally get to rest, sitting atop one of the trees next to the nest.
Bald Eagle Chick in the Nest
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
The other day I posted about seeing several birds this season that are very uncommon in Florida. Black-chinned hummingbirds are typically found in the western states, most often across the rocky mountain region. While most migrate to western Mexico, there have been sightings across the gulf coast in recent years. We were fortunate to see two feeding on an orchid tree.
Black-chinned Hummingbird Perched on a Hanging Limb
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
I recently had the pleasure of capturing some fun birds in flight images with my neighbor and artist, Jerry Horine. We found an active area where wood storks were moving from their morning roosting spots. Storks are great targets because they tend to slowly glide a long way before landing. I also never realized how the edges of their wings had a green iridescence.
A few pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
It seems each year we are seeing more birds that are seldom seen in Florida. Most of the birds are typically found much farther west. This year has been no exception. A few of the uncommon sightings include a black-chinned hummingbird, black scoter ducks, ash-throated flycatcher, scissor-tailed flycatcher and scaly-breasted munias. We even had a juvenile munia visit our millet feeder last week. Thanks to my good friend Art Nadelman for help with the identification!
2020 was a good year for at least one thing. I put my bird feeder up in late October and attracted a male painted bunting in full color in early November. To our delight, he has stayed with us since his initial visit. I have been on a mission to get a photo of him when he is NOT on the feeder. After almost 2 months, I finally succeeded!
Male Painted Bunting on the Feeder Eating Millet Seeds
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
It’s been a while since the last post. And there has been a lot happening. I’ll break out the specifics in separate posts, but I wanted to report that the migration is in full force. We have been seeing numerous visitors for several weeks including many species of ducks. The robins have been everywhere. Some of the migrants have continued south and will return in the spring. Like the snowbirds, others will stay here usually until March before heading back north.
Townsend’s Warbler Climbing an Oak Tree
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
The landfill is always a good place to capture some good photos of bald eagles. The days after a holiday are even better as all the scraps from those big meals eventually find their way to the landfill and the birds have their feast. In addition to the eagles, there are vultures, crows, and countless gulls.
Large Flock of Seagulls in Flight
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
Thanks to my good friend Art Nadelman, I was able to locate a recent migrant to the area. Scissor-tailed flycatchers are found mainly in Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico. Occasionally their winter migration route to southern Central America takes them a little off course and they can end up here in Florida. They’re fun to watch as they sit along utility wires and fences waiting for insects to fly by. Then they burst into action and snag their meal.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Returning to a Perch with a Bug
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
