outdoor photography

Red-headed Woodpecker I was well over a mile away from my car when it started to rain. It was a drizzle at first, but eventually, it became a downpour. I wasn't expecting rain, so I didn't have my camera bag or binocular bag with me.  I was forced to tuck everything under my shirt and hat and hope for the best. And interestingly, it was really slow for me until it began to drizzle, and then the birds came out to play.  Yellow-rumped, Pine and Palm Warblers were numerous all around me. There were also  about 15 Eastern Bluebirds and about 3 Red-headed Nuthatches.  Then I heard a Red-headed Woodpecker calling--the first I've ever found in this park. After finding, it I continued to walk the path back to the car, and I found 5 more!  I've never seen so many in one place. All were in the same general area.  After I saw my sixth, there was a little break in the rain, so I decided to walk the area again and recount. On my second pass I saw 4 and heard 1 more....

Eastern Bluebird This morning I drove by the Chuluota Wilderness Area.  I've never been there before, so I decided to drop by "on my way home" from Orlando Wetlands Park.  I just wanted to see what kind of place it was.  It looks like it would be a good place to come back and visit.  There were many Eastern Bluebirds there, sporting their patriotic colors, so I thought I'd share a few photos just to wish you all a happy 4th of July. Eastern Bluebird Eastern Bluebird

Brown-headed Nuthatch I went to Wekiwa Springs State Park this morning hoping to find some Pine Siskins.  I didn't find any (at least none that I could be sure of), but the morning was still fun.  I found dozens of American Goldfinches, especially in the sand hill areas with pines and taller grasses.  Also numerous were Pine Warblers and Eastern Bluebirds.  It was fun to find my first Brown-headed Nuthatches in the park (and in fact, Orange County).  I was looking more for Red-breasted Nuthatches, but these will do for now.  I walked the wet-to-dry boardwalk trail a couple times, and I found a variety of warblers I haven't seen since October: Palm, Yellow-rumped, Orange-crowned, Pine, Black-and-white, Yellow-throated, and an American Redstart. Eastern Bluebird Pine Warbler Chipping Sparrow American Goldfinch

Eastern Bluebird This morning I went for the first time to the Geneva Wilderness Area.  I had heard that there was a Great Horned Owl there, but unfortunately, I never located it.  However, I still had a pretty great time. I  heard several Bobwhites at at least one Carolina Chickadee, though none showed themselves, and Eastern Towhees were constantly singing all over the area.  Photographically, I enjoyed finding Eastern Bluebirds, White-eyed Vireos, and a Little Blue Heron. A couple Roseate Spoonbills flew by as well, which I found rather surprising. White-eyed Vireo Little Blue Heron As I was a walking through the trail, a Bobcat ventured on the path.  I think we noticed each other at exactly the same time, and both of us stood nearly motionless (save the tripping of my shutter).  After a few seconds, I made a move and the Bobcat took off.  Thankfully, a couple of the photos came out. Bobcat Gopher Tortoise Here's a list of...

Red-headed Woodpecker This morning we opted for a little change of scenery, and we spent most of the morning mostly in the sandhill and inland scrub habitats at Wekiwa Springs State Park.  I found a bird I'd never seen before, a Bachman's Sparrow, and a couple others I haven't seen this year, including a Short-tailed Hawk and a Summer Tanager.  It's a little frustrating, though, since I didn't get any good photos of any of these species. Red-headed Woodpecker Nevertheless, it was good just to see/hear them (that feels a little like saying it was great just being nominated), and there were several other species there that were really fun to find and photograph.  Wild Turkeys, Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Towhees and Red-headed Woodpeckers were all there, and there were some nice occasions to photograph each of them. Eastern Bluebird Eastern Towhee Pine Warbler Wild Turkey Here's a list of species we saw this morning: Wild Turkey 6 ...

Eastern Bluebird Yesterday on my way home from Orlando Wetlands Park, I decided to drop by Home Depot in Oviedo to get some grilling supplies for Mother's Day.  On the way there I saw a Swallow-tailed Kite flying low over the trees.  Since I had my camera with me, I decided to pull over to photograph my favorite raptor.  Unfortunately, by the time I pulled over to a side street and walked to the area, it was gone.  So after buying my grill supplies, I decided to drive back the same way to see if I could find it.  I accidentally turned onto a different street, but as I stopped to turn around, I looked at the powerlines and found an Eastern Bluebird perched on the lines.  This the first bluebird I've seen in Seminole County, so I stopped to take a few pictures.  A mockingbird came by and chased it into a tree (for no reason I might add), and then a second bluebird landed in the same spot and stayed there until the mockingbird was tired of the presenc...