Florida Gulf Coast Creations

Tag: Birds Of Prey

Sarasota County Eagles
For the past several years, we’ve had the opportunity to photograph a family of bald eagles in Lakewood Ranch. Their nest was incredibly accessible and gave us countless great shots. Unfortunately, hurricane Ian took out the nest and several surrounding trees last fall and the eagles moved on to another location.
But we have a lot of eagles in the area and one of our friends told us about another nest with even better accessibility! The nest happened to be hidden well off the main highway but was exposed after the area was cleared for a huge residential development. The nesting area was fenced off to protect the birds but allowed us the ability to photograph them from almost any angle.
The day we arrived, there were two healthy eaglets in the nest. One of them was beginning to stretch its’ wings in preparation to fledge the nest. The parents would leave and return with food throughout the morning. A few days later we learned that the restless bird had fallen out of the nest. A specialist was called in to return the eaglet back to his family so he wouldn’t starve. Fortunately, since the area was fenced, it was somewhat protected from predators. However, the efforts didn’t last long as the eaglet fell out of the nest again shortly after it was put back. Thankfully, both eaglets ultimately flew off with their parents.
Juvenile Bald Eagle Sits on a Fallen Branch Beneath the Nest
During one of the trips to see the eagles, we spotted a family of killdeers on an adjacent lot. It was fun to watch the interaction between the little chicks and their parents. The chicks were scattered around, and the parents followed closely keeping watch. If we got too close, the parents would go into their wounded bird routine to draw us away from their babies. Eventually, after following them for several minutes, all four of the chicks obeyed the calls from the female and crawled beneath her for protection.
Killdeer Chicks Come to Their Mom for Cover
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Bald Eagles
- Other Birds
June 30, 2023
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 would abandon the site and move on to another location. If that happened, we would lose the best place photograph bald eagles in this area. But, thankfully, the eagles like the spot as much as we do!
So, the rebuilding has begun, and the nest is growing larger every day. It’s amazing to watch each bird disappear and then return with large sticks or Spanish moss. They build the nest layer by layer until it’s deep enough to handle 2 full grown eaglets. The nest will be active until spring when the eaglets are old enough to leave the nest on their own.
Bald Eagle Leaving the Nest for Repair Materials
Because this site is so accessible, it’s also very popular with photographers which means we get to reunite with friends we haven’t seen all summer.
Fall is here …. finally. The northern birds are beginning to arrive, and migrators are starting to travel through the area. The next 6 months are prime time for wildlife photography in Florida.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Bald Eagles
October 25, 2021
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 from March to August.
The swallow-tail kite is a magnificent bird that migrates from South America in the spring to breed in Florida. Their diet consists mostly of insects although they also eat lizards and small snakes. They are about the same size as a red-tailed hawk but what makes them so spectacular is their flying skill. They can capture dragonflies out of the air. I was fortunate to witness one take a dragonfly off the tip of a bush in our back yard. I noticed movement in the air and when I looked, the kite had swooped down and picked off the dragonfly and slapped the top of the shrub with its tail just a few feet from where I was standing. Of course, my camera was INSIDE the house. Aargh!! Yet another missed opportunity. Sadly, they are leaving the area now ahead of hurricane season.
Other birds that are non-migratory are often more visible during the summer months because of breeding activity. Sometimes we see odd behaviors and unusual sights like a bobwhite quail singing from a pine tree.
Bobwhite Quail Singing in a Pine Tree
All species of birds of prey nest at different times of the year. Eagles start in late fall / early winter and are followed by owls and hawks that typically nest in early spring. In late spring the ospreys breed while summer is the time for kestrels, kites and caracaras.
The good news is that we’re heading toward the best time of the year for birding in Florida. The fall migration is near. Many birds will be arriving for the winter while others will be stopping over on their way further south. From October through April, the state transforms into a sanctuary for so many different species.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
August 20, 2021
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 but will also eat insects, frogs, snakes and other small birds. When they’re not scavenging, they like to sit on fence posts or in tall trees. Their vision and sense of smell are amazing. They are normally not real wary so if you do find them at a reasonably close distance, getting a good photo is possible.
Crested Caracara Pauses in a Pasture
Recently we were fortunate to come across two perched atop utility poles in a pasture in rural Sarasota County. When we stopped to watch, one cooperated by flying towards us and landing in the field. It walked around the field for several minutes searching for a small animal or likely a nest of meadowlark eggs. A few minutes later the other spotted something and flew and landed 20 feet in front of me. It found a dead meadowlark. It eventually picked up the carcass and flew off to join the other caracara.
A few more pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Crested Caracaras
May 6, 2021
Burrowing Owls on The Move
One of my favorite birds to photograph is the burrowing owl. They are absolutely adorable. The past few years we’ve had to travel 90 minutes to Cape Coral, FL to find them. The city of Cape Coral has become a sanctuary city for the owls.
Burrowing Owl Stretching His Right Wing
But this year, thanks to a tip from fellow photographers and bird watchers, we were able to find a nesting pair much closer to home. It was exciting to see these little birds of prey move north. Unfortunately, loss of habitat has reduced their population over the years to the point of being threatened or even endangered in certain areas.
Burrowing Owl on the Ground By His Nest
For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Burrowing Owls
April 10, 2021
Baby Birds Everywhere

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.

April 9, 2021
Back From a Break

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

April 6, 2021
Bald Eagles
Bald eagles have gotten very active as the mating season has begun. This always offers some good photo opportunities. The birds are active hunting for food and nesting materials. We are fortunate to have a pair that built a nest a few years ago that is very easy to photograph.
A few pictures from this journey are featured below. For a larger selection of photos, go to the galleries listed.
- Bald Eagles
November 12, 2020

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