outdoor photography

Loggerhead Shrike Yesterday I visited Central Winds Park hoping for migrants.  It was kind of a slow morning.  The cold front up north should have brought migrants down, but weather patterns seem to have held them from coming down to us.  So I had 9 warbler species, none of them worth writing  home about.  The most unusual bird was a Tennessee Warbler by the lake shore.  I had my first Eastern Phoebe of the Fall; before too long I suspect we'll be inundated with them. I heard a Greater Yellowlegs calling by the small pond, American Crow So I tried to see if I could get some decent photos.  I came home with one of my best photos of an American Crow, and a Loggerhead Shrike posed for photos as well. I also decided to play around with my Canon Poweshot G7 X. The more I use this camera, the more I like it. I'm preparing a review of the camera that I'm hoping to post soon.  Here are a few photos I took in the late morning. Cabbage Palm wi...

Ash-throated Flycatcher Yesterday I made it out to Viera Wetlands for a little bit during the afternoon. I much prefer to go in the morning, but even though family commitments kept me home in the morning, afternoon birding proved to be all that I'd hoped.  My biggest goal was to see an Ash-throated Flycatcher that's been seen nearby in the Moccasin Island tract of the River Lakes Conservation Area (just down the street from the wetlands). I went there first, and about 15 minutes after arriving it showed itself.  I wasn't able to get presentable photos, so after it disappeared, I went to the "click" ponds, but I returned a little later, and this time it showed itself a little better, and I had some very good looks at this wonderful flycatcher. The short drive from the click ponds to the flycatcher was also productive.  Here are some photos from along the drive. Belted Kingfisher Northern Harrier Loggerhead Shrike American Kestrel The click pon...

Loggerhead Shrike I found several Loggerhead Shrikes on Brumley Road not far from my house.  This one had impaled a Mole Cricket on the barbed wire fence.  As I drove by it flew up and perched on the fence by the cricket. After a few seconds, it pulled it off the barbed wire, held it for a couple more seconds in its mouth, and then re-positioned and swallowed the cricket. Shrikes are famous for impaling their prey. They do this for several reasons: 1) it allows them to cache food for later consumption, 2) some insects like lubber grasshoppers have toxins that can make birds sick, but caching food allows the toxins to become less potent, and 3) shrikes lack talons, so thorns and barbed wire can be useful for holding prey in place while consuming it. I'm not sure why this fascinates me so much, but it's one reason why Loggerhead Shrikes are one of my favorite birds.   Loggerhead Shrike with Mole Cricket Impaled on Barbed Wire Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shri...

Loggerhead Shrike The Loggerhead Shrike is perhaps my favorite bird. Not only do they know how to make black, white and gray look quite handsome, but they have a habit of impaling their prey on barbed wire fences and thorns.  I see them all over Central Florida, most frequently where there's a field and a barbed wire fence. Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrikes

Northern Parula This morning on my way to work I dropped by Central Winds Park for a few minutes, just to see what I could find. A Loggerhead Shrike greeted me as I drove into the parking lot.  Then there was at least a dozen Northern Parula by the play ground and a Snowy Egret by the shore of Lake Jessup.  Although I didn't get any presentable photos, I did find a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which is the first I've seen in Seminole Co. this year. I also found 2 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying over Lake Jessup. Loggerhead Shrike Snowy Egret Here's a complete list of species I found this morning: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 2 Wood Duck 4 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 2 Tricolored Heron 1 White Ibis 1 Black Vulture X Turkey Vulture X Osprey 10 Red-shouldered Hawk 3 Rock Pigeon X Mourning Dove 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 1 Pileated Woodpecker 1 Great Crested Flycatcher 1 Loggerhea...

Black-necked Stilt This morning I went to Merritt Island, and I had a pretty good morning.  We saw next to nothing at the Max Brewer Causeway, but from there we went to East Gator Creek and things started to pick up.   It was nice to see a Least Tern, and I never tire of photographing Black-necked Stilts and Reddish Egrets. Black-necked Stilts Reddish Egrets Least Tern From there we went to Blackpoint Drive.  Easily the biggest highlight of the morning was seeing three Common Nighthawks chasing each other.  They were so fast, and we were in a car unable to follow them as they flew, so I have blurry photos of them up close, and relatively sharp images of them far away.  There were many Black-necked Stilts at their nests, and one Reddish Egret came a little too close to one, causing the stilts to jump into action to defend their nest--it was pretty fun to watch.  It was also nice to see a Semipalmated Plover up close walking on Blackpoint Dr...

Loggerhead Shrike Yesterday afternoon I took my daughter and dog to a dog park near my home.  Since warblers are known to frequent there I decided to bring my camera "just in case," but I wasn't expecting to take any photos. It was a dark, cloudy day, and I was there to be with my daughter.  As I was there, my daughter ran up to me and said, "I saw a black and white bird!"  And she wanted to show it to me.  So without guilt or hesitation I walked to the tree where she saw the bird.  I thought I was going to find a Black and White Warbler, but instead, I saw several Loggerhead Shrike fledglings sitting in a tree.  Wow!  Dogs and people walked directly under this tree all day long, and there they are, unaffected by the activity all around them--they were resting, preening, playing, etc.  So I shot a few photos and then left them alone. Loggerhead Shrike Since it was so dark and cloudy, I shot these at ISO1600, which is about as much as my...

Loggerhead Shrike with Grasshopper One of my favorite things about birding is watching bird behavior.  To me, birding is not just about seeing the bird, but also enjoying what makes the species unique.  The Loggerhead Shrike is a perfect example of what makes birding so fascinating.  The Loggerhead Shrike is famous for impaling its prey on barbed wires or thorns.  The two most commonly described reasons for this are 1) storing food for later and 2) extra help as they eat, since the Shrike has no talons like hawks do.  The other day I photographed a Loggerhead Shrike capturing and eating a grasshopper, and I thought I'd share with you my photos that describe his process. First, the Shrike flew out of sight, captured the grasshopper, and brought it back to his perch. Loggerhead Shrike after Capturing Grasshopper Shrike with Grasshopper He then impaled the grasshopper on a barbed wire fence. Loggerhead Shrike with Impaled Grasshopper Next he ...