outdoor photography

Eastern Pygmy Blue On April 15th, I drove out to Merritt Island to look for birds. I didn't find much. It's been so dry that much of the mudflats are all dried up, and Biolab Rd is still closed. It would have been nearly a complete loss were it not for this Eastern Pygmy Blue that showed up at the pumphouse. It took a while for the butterfly to cooperate with the limitations of my 400mm lens. I almost went and got my macro and came back, but I decided I didn't have enough time. Anyway, it's a pretty little blue.

Saltmarsh Sparorw This past Saturday I decided to visit Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. I haven't been here in forever. I've spent most of my time in Orange and Seminole Counties, so it was very nice to return to MINWR. I was hoping to add some birds to my year list and collect some better photographs of birds that are around here this time of year. Shiloh Marsh I began at sunrise at Shiloh Marsh, hoping for Clapper Rails and Sharp-tailed Sparrows; they're very common here this time of year, and you're pretty sure to see them if you get out on the marsh as the sun is rising.  I saw all three species, but I was only able to photograph Saltmarsh Sparrows; I only saw one Nelson's Sparrow, and it was being too uncooperative. Saltmarsh Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparorw Saltmarsh Sparrow I couldn't believe how many Saltmarsh Sparrows there were, though.  My conservative estimate is 8 (they move under cover so well, it's possible that I saw th...

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...

Saltmarsh Sparrow Ammodramus Sparrows are beautiful sparrows.  It's my favorite genus of sparrows, and perhaps my favorite of any group of birds.  I think they're absolutely gorgeous birds, and many of them are tough to find.  Saltmarsh Sparrows are the last Ammodramus sparrow that occurs in Florida that I've photographed. Such beautiful birds! Saltmarsh Sparrow The easiest place I know of to find this species is at Shiloh Marsh, which is the northern part of Merritt Island NWR in Volusia County.  They occur here along with Nelson's Sparrows. Two of the most beautiful sparrows I've ever seen in the same spot. Saltmarsh Sparrow Saltmarsh Sparrow

Veery My father and I drove out to Oak Hammock on Merritt Island today.  We'd heard some nice reports about some fun warblers there, so I thought I'd give it a try.  Unfortunately, I left my camera battery in my charger, but my dad let me borrow one his cameras, a Canon EOS 1D mark 4.  It was pretty fun to use--nice and fast, and noise levels were lower than my 7D.  I didn't see a lot of warblers there, but it was nice to find a couple Veery. It was also fun to see many Ovenbirds and a Northern Waterthrush. Ovenbird It was interesting, though.  Noise levels with the 1D mark 4 were better than my 7D, but there was a bit more noise than I anticipated. I took these shots at 2500 ISO, and noise was pretty visible, so I had to work on the backgrounds a little. The Ovenbird above is sharp, but a bit grainy; the waterthrush below is more tightly cropped, and the grain is also affecting the sharpness of the image. It just goes to show that there's no magic cam...

Seaside Dragonlet On Saturday while birding BioLab Rd, I found two dragonflies that I'd never seen before. The first was pointed out to me by a friend, a Seaside Dragonlet.  They are apparently very common along the drive.  The second one was a Marl Pennant.  This is one that I've been looking for for some time. Marl Pennant

Digger Wasp with Katydid On Biolab Rd at Merritt Island yesterday, I saw a Digger Wasp carrying a Katydid.  It landed on a branch, I guess to rest for a little bit, and this allowed me to take a few photos. I'm no expert on insects, but according to the good folks at bugguide.net, the Digger Wasp is  Sphex jamaicensis (no common name) and the katydid is an Agile Meadow Katydid.  Female Digger Wasps look for Katydids and Grasshoppers, sting them to paralyze them, and then bring them back to one of their tunnels. These photos illustrate how.  They grasp the antennae of their prey in their mandibles and then wrap their legs around the body of the insect.  This one is quite a bit larger than the wasp, which is perhaps the reason why it rested and posed for photos. Once bringing her prey into her tunnel, she will lay her eggs there and  then close up the tunnel.  When her eggs hatch, the larvae will eat the Katydid.  Sorry if that's gros...

Reddish Egret with American Avocets I had a pretty fun time at Merritt Island this morning. I saw a Horned Grebe at the causeway and then went to Blackpoint Dr.  There was a significant number of shorebirds there: lots of American Avocets, Dunlin and Least Sandpipers, quite a few Black-bellied Plovers, and a few distant dowitchers and Red Knots. There were far fewer species of ducks than is normal this time of year: Northern Shoveler, Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, and four Red-breasted Mergansers. Black-bellied Plover On the south side of the main road (west of the turnoff to Blackpoint Dr), there was a large number of wading birds, shorebirds and pelicans.  At one point, a group of them flew, containing the most interesting species in the group.  If I've counted right, this photo shows 11 Marbled Godwits, 5 American Avocets, 3 Dunlin and 1 Willet, though there were more of each species in the water. American Avocet, Marbled Godwit, Willet, Dunlin The v...

Willet Canaveral National Seashore Merritt Island is finally open again after the government shut down.  I took the opportunity to go to Oak Hammock area this morning. I've never been there before, and I was told that there may be mosquitoes there, but I did not expect to be swarmed by them.  I will not go there again without bug spray.  I was there for 20 minutes and only found an Ovenbird and Swainson's Thrush, but I spent most of my time swatting mosquitoes.  I cut my losses and went to Blackpoint Drive.  That was pretty slow too.  Water levels were high, and there were few shorebirds.  It was nice to see Pied-billed Grebes returning as well as a Savannah Sparrow.  Then I decided then to go to the Canaveral National Seashore.  I wanted to drive up Bio Lab Rd if it was open.  It was open, but I decided I didn't have enough time to drive it slow enough to make it worth my while.  I drove about a quarter mile up the road and tu...

Tricolored Heron I found all the normal wading birds and shorebirds on Bio Lab Rd today.  Wading bird highlights were the normal herons and egrets, both ibises, and Roseate Spoonbills. We also had a fair share of Stilt Sandpipers, both Dowitchers, both Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plovers, and Least, Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers. Roseate Spoonbills Stilt Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs with Larvae of Horse Fly (I think) I also found a small flock of shorebirds with dowitchers, yellowlegs and an interesting shorebird.  It's a Wilson's Phalarope!  It in the rear with a very thin needle-like bill, white throat, white rump, and pale lores. Dowitchers, Yellowlegs, Wilson's Phalarope Dowitchers, Yellowlegs, Wilson's Phalarope