outdoor photography

Red-cockaded Woodpecker Well, third time's a charm it seems. Today I made my third visit to Hal Scott Preserve (I went twice in the summer of 2013 and then today).  This is the one park I know of where Red-cockaded Woodpeckers can be found in Orange County, but until today I haven't been able to find them here.  I've seen lots of trees with white rings around them (indicating that at some point in time there has been a nest in the tree), but never any sight or sound of them.  Until today, when I took a different route and got lucky I suppose.  I found a pair of them together.  One of them was pretty perturbed with a Downy Woodpecker.  The Downy just seem like it had to be working the same tree with it, but every once in a while the Red-cockaded Woodpecker would chase off the Downy.  It was pretty fun to watch.  I just stood in one spot, and the woodpeckers were so interested in each other they didn't seem to mind me at all. Red-cockaded Wo...

Econ River Wilderness Area Trails The Econ River Wilderness Area is another of my favorite places ot visit in Seminole County.  It's only about 10 minutes from my home, so I can visit there on a whim, which is nice.  The wilderness area covers about  240 acres that extends from Old Lockwood Rd to the Econ River just north of UCF.  There are approximately 3 miles of trails that will take you from pine flatwoods and and sandhill habitats into hard wood and river swamp environments closer to the river. The trails are pretty poorly marked, but if you know your east from the west, it's not much of a problem.  The area is very long from east to west and narrow from north to south, so as long as you know you're heading east, you're going to make it to the river, and as long as you're heading west, you're going to make it to the parking lot. There's one little pond on the property that is visible from Old Lockwood Rd.  There's a trail that will take you ...

Gopher Tortoise Geneva Wilderness Area I suppose it's fair to say that the Gopher Tortoise is not the most attractive reptile on the planet, but in the southeastern United States, they are one of the more important. Can be found throughout Florida, especially in Longleaf Pine forests with well-drained, sandy soils. But they are listed as a vulnerable species because of habitat destruction, so they are also considered a "keystone species" because the burrows they dig also provide shelter for over 300 other species. Because so many animals depend in some fashion on their burrows, it's important to protect these wonderful creatures. Gopher Tortoise Orlando Wetlands Park Gopher Tortoise Econ River Wilderness Area

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...

Bachman's Sparrow  This morning I spent a couple hours at Wekiwa State Park.  I went there a couple weeks ago in search of a Bachman's Sparrow, and while I found them there, I wasn't able to photograph them.  I was hoping to find them again, and I was not disappointed.  I found three Bachman's Sparrows and several Eastern Towhees. Bachman's Sparrow Eastern Towhee Summer Tanagers are one of my all-time favorite birds.  Last time I was here, the one I found was too far away for photographs.  But this morning I found a wonderful male that didn't seem to mind my presence one bit. Summer Tanager Summer Tanager I saw or heard five woodpecker species: Red-headed, Red-bellied, Downy, Piliated and a Northern Flicker.  I was most interested in the Red-headed Woodpeckers. Red-headed Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Carolina Chickadees were also there--I love the challenge of trying to get a presentable photo of these birds. C...