outdoor photography

Northern Waterthrush This past Saturday I visited the wildlife drive at Lake Apopka. I was hoping to get some nice migrant activity, and I was not disappointed. Yellow Warblers were everywhere! I estimated 20 of them, but I think I underestimated. In one little spot along the lakeshore there were perhaps 10 Yellow Warblers, 2 Prothonotary Warblers, 5 Prairie Warblers, 1 Northern Waterthrush, 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, and an Acadian Flycatcher. Yellow Warbler There was far less activity along the rest of the drive.  There were hardly any shorebirds at the sod fields, oddly enough, and that was a little disappointing. However, I did get a nice photo of an Eastern Kingbird, which is always nice. Eastern Kingbird A couple herons posed for photos as well. A Black-crowned Night-Heron was perched along the edge of vegetation not far from my car (this photo is hardly cropped), and a Great Blue Heron also perched in the reeds for me. Black-crowned Night-Heron Great Bl...

Wilson's Phalarope Biolab Rd It used to be that when I went to Merritt Island NWR, my sole destination was Blackpoint Wildlife Dr. Of course, that is by far the most popular part of the refuge, especially for visitors from out of town.  But the refuge actually has many wonderful locations for birding, hiking and otherwise enjoying nature.  Some are wildlife drives, and some allow you to get out of your car and walk a bit. I thought it would be good to offer a brief summary of the best locations on the refuge. You can consult my field reports as well for more information. Many of those that visit the refuge frequently know every nook and cranny of it, but there are about 9 locations on the refuge that are relatively easy to find with excellent birding opportunities. The above map is turned sidewise--north is to the left.  But you can see I-95 and the Max Brewer bridge over the inter-coastal waterway on SR-406 that takes you on to the refuge. Saltmarsh Sparro...

Eastern Kingbird the first I've seen in the park Today I joined the Orange Audubon Society's bird walk for Mead Gardens.  Normally this time of year, the park is just hopping with migrants.  I checked the eBird reports from last year at this time, and there were some really nice sightings in the park.  However, this fall has been extremely slow, so I've only visited a couple times.  I hoped for some surprises this morning, but I think this was the slowest September day at Mead that I can remember.  We had five species of warbler: Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Prairie Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Northern Parula.  We had a few Red-eyed Vireos to liven things up a bit, and several of us had the chance to see a couple Baltimore Orioles.  Those that stayed past 11:00 am were rewarded with nice views of three Eastern Kingbirds.  Those were the first I've seen in the park, so that's something.  There were still the normal ...

Fork-tailed Flycatcher and Eastern Kingbird I don't know how often this happens in Florida, but it can't be often--a Fork-tailed Flycatcher and a juvenile Eastern Kingbird sitting right next to each other. I received an alert that these birds were found today in the Lake Apopka Restoration Area.  This area is normally closed to the public, but the person who found these birds arranged for regular people like me to come in and see the birds, though for today only.  So I made my way there to see the sight. There was a Fork-tailed Flycatcher not too far away from this one last July, so this is the second I've seen here.  Anyway, a storm was approaching as I found these birds, so the sky became gray and ugly.  I had to over expose enough that the background appears mostly white in these photos.  So we'll just call this an experiment in "high-key" photography, but really I just wanted to share the sight. Fork-tailed Flycatcher and Eastern Kingbird Fork...

Eastern Kingbird I spent this morning at Merritt Island NWR.  I first went to Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, and that was pretty fun. The biggest highlights were seeing several American Avocets in breeding plumage and my first Eastern Kingbird of the year.  The Eastern Kingbird was right near the restrooms, where I seem to find them every year. American Avocet At one of the stops there was a large mixed flock of wading birds and shorebirds (where I saw the avocets).  Photographically, this was the best part of my morning. At one point, a Peregrine Falcon dove in to attack, I suspect one of the many shorebirds, but pulled out of his dive. I was only able to get a photo after it decided to fly away.  Man, those birds fly fast! Snowy Egret White Ibis Lesser Yellowlegs Roseate Spoonbill Great Egret Peregrine Falcon After Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, I drove down Biolab Road and East/West Gator Creek.  The only significant find...

Eastern Kingbird The Eastern Kingbird is one of the first species I learned to identify when I first began birding in Maryland. One thing I love about kingbirds is their tendency to attack perceived rivals in their territory (at least while they are in the U.S.). I've seen them pursue birds many times their size, harassing them until they leave.  On Merritt Island, I once saw one harass a Turkey Vulture for quite some time.  Their aggressive behavior towards other birds is partly what earns Eastern Kingbirds their scientific name Tyrannus tyrannus .  They also sometimes raise their crown feathers, and on occasion, you may see yellow or red feathers in their crown. Eastern Kingbird Eastern Kingbird Eastern Kingbird

Cory's Shearwater On September 16th I went on my first trip out into the Atlantic Ocean to find pelagic birds. Yes, pelagic birds--those are birds that are normally out at sea, and some of them you haven't much of a prayer of seeing unless you go out there.  I went on a boat with about 50 other people, and we had a great time.  From what I've been told, we didn't see as many birds as are normally seen in September, but most everything I saw was new to me, and I went home with 9 life birds--birds I've never seen before in my entire life. I'm still learning about these birds, but I think I have all the identifications right. Cory's Shearwater The first birds we saw were Shearwaters.  We saw three species: Audubon's, Cory's and Great Shearwaters.  Most of what we saw were Cory's.  In fact they were the stars of the day.  We saw at least 30 of them, but only two Audubon's and one Great Shearwater. Cory's Shearwater Great S...