outdoor photography

Southern Skipperling On April 17th, I visited Marl Bed Flats, and I did something I haven't done in years. I took my 180 mm macro lens and not my 400 mm telephoto lens. My bet was that I wouldn't see any birds that needed photographing but I would see bugs that needed photographing. Thankfully, I was right. I walked out to Lake Jesup looking for birds, and walked back looking for bugs. There were lots of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies that took a good deal of my attention. I got my first presentable photos of a Southern Skipperling and my first ever photos of a Big Bluet. Here are the dragonflies and damselflies I'd seen. Rambur's Forktail Big Bluet Four-spotted Pennant Eastern Amberwing Here are some more of the butterflies I saw.  Including the Southern Skipperling above, I only saw three species, though there were several of each, especially Little Yellows. Fiery Skipper Little Yellow

Four-spotted Pennant I find dragonflies beautiful, interesting and challenging.  They're fast and exceptional predators, but I see an awful lot of them falling prey to birds, spiders and robber flies.  Four-spotted Pennants seem to be one of most common dragonflies I see, especially at Marl Bed Flats and Orlando Wetlands Park. Four-spotted Pennant Four-spotted Pennant Four-spotted Pennant Four-spotted Pennant Four-spotted Pennant

Northern Parula I drove out to Marl Bed Flats this morning hoping to find shorebirds.  I found none--not even a Killdeer.  I did have a pretty good time though.  I saw a juvenile Purple Gallinule, Coopers Hawk and a Belted Kingfisher. There were also many of the normal blackbirds, grackles and wading birds. Boat-tailed Grackle Green Heron More of these hibiscus-like flowers are blooming here, and they look to me to be Saltmarsh Mallow, though I wasn't in a salt marsh. I wish I'd brought my diffuser for this photo. Saltmarsh Mallow? Dragonflies where also there in abundance. I photographed a beautiful male Four-spotted Pennant. Four-spotted Pennant As I was leaving, I found a butterfly I've never seen before. That didn't surprise me, since I'm pretty much a novice at identifying insects. I took a few photos with my point and shoot camera and then searched my Audubon Butterfly Guide and could not find this butterfly. The best I could find...

Saltmarsh Mallow Yesterday I drove out to Marl Bed Flats, though my time there was cut short by the fact that I slipped into mud deep enough to get muddy water into my boots.  I was hoping to confirm breeding of Least Bitterns, but I never made it to where they are.  These hibiscus-like flowers were blooming; they look to me like Saltmarsh Mallow, even though I wasn't in a salt marsh.  I can't find a better match, though, and I've read that these flowers sometimes grow inland. There were many dragonflies there, and I photographed a Four-spotted Pennant and a Regal Darner.  Unfortunately the darner wouldn't perch where I could get a good photograph. Four-spotted Pennant Regal Darner On the way out, I came across this Muscovy Duck perched on the utility wires.  This one is nearly all black, except for a little bit of white visible on the wing. We don't get wild Muscovy Ducks here, but this one looks similar to photos of those you can find in the wil...

Snowy Egret This morning I went to Orlando Wetlands Park with about 5 other people, and we had a pretty great time.  It was cloudy and threatened rain all morning, but it never really did.  Purple Gallinules were out in force--I counted 12. Purple Gallinule A couple Sandhill Cranes also decided to sing their lovely song at close range. Sandhill Crane Cattle Egrets My companions for the morning were also very interested in the flowers and butterflies, and it occurred to me that I often do just pass them by without much thought. Queen Ornate Bella Moth Four-spotted Penant Oats Grama