Florida Gulf Coast Creations

Tag: Florida Wildlife

  • Myakka River State Park

    Myakka River State Park

    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 Water With Reflection
    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.

  • New Eagles

    New Eagles

    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 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.

  • Cinnamon Teal

    Cinnamon Teal

    This past weekend I had the opportunity to photograph a cinnamon teal. It’s a bird I have never seen in the wild. Cinnamon teal are seldom spotted east of the Mississippi River so finding one here in Florida was a real treat! They are beautiful birds, especially in flight where you can see their light blue wing patches and green speculums. Unfortunately, this cinnamon teal was feeding on a grass bed in the middle of a small lake which made photographing a challenge. These images are heavily cropped which sacrifices detail.

    Cinnamon Teal Chewing Grass On Pond
    Cinnamon Teal Male Chewing Grass on a Pond

    Cinnamon teal like to feed by skimming for plants right under the surface so most of the time their head is under water. When they come up for a breath, it’s only for a moment before they shove their head back down again to return to feeding. Thank goodness for digital cameras because I couldn’t afford the film and processing to capture this bird!

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

  • Black-chinned Hummingbirds

    Black-chinned Hummingbirds

    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 Hanging Limb
    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.

  • Wood Storks

    Wood Storks

    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.

  • Rarely Seen Birds

    Rarely Seen Birds

    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!

    Female Black Scoter Duck Riding The Waves
    Female Black Scoter Duck Riding the Waves
  • Backyard Bunting

    Backyard Bunting

    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!

    Painted Bunting Male On Millet Feeder
    Male Painted Bunting on the Feeder Eating Millet Seeds

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

  • Happy New Year

    Happy New Year

    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.

    Townsends Warbler Climbing In Oak Tree
    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.

  • Landfill Eagles

    Landfill Eagles

    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
    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.

  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

    Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

    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 Perch With A Bug
    Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Returning to a Perch with a Bug

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

  • Mergansers

    Mergansers

    The hooded mergansers have begun arriving for the winter. We often find them on small retention ponds around the area until February. They are typically wary but this flock of around 15 birds found a small little pond to their liking next to a very busy intersection. I seldom get an opportunity for a decent photo of a bird that is sharply backlit, but the reflections worked this time.

    Hooded Merganser Female Backlit On Small Pond With Reflection
    Female Hooded Merganser Swimming in a Pond with Backlighting

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

  • Bald Eagles

    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.

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