outdoor photography

Beautiful Hammock While on my trip to South Florida, my father and I visited Matheson Hammock Park in Miami-Dade County.  It's a beautiful park.  We visited once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  One of our target birds was a White-crowned Pigeon, and this seemed to be the best place to find one, but we struck out.  However, we did see our first Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (perhaps soon to be countable) in the morning, and in the afternoon, I was able to get some of my best photos of Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers. Least Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Plover The shorebirds were in an asphalt parking lot in a shallow pool of water, but when I got down low enough the reflections on the water made the setting look more natural. Matheson Hammock Park Matheson Hammock Park It's a very pretty park, though, and I'd love to return again.  I spent a little time exercising my Canon Powershot G7...

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Wekiva River I just completed my fourth June Challenge.  For those of you who are not familiar, June Challenge is a friendly competition here in Florida.  The gist is this: pick a county in Florida and find as many bird species in that county in Florida during the month of June--they must be seen (heard only doesn't count).  My totals have risen every year: 2012     81 (80/1) Species 2013     96 (95/1) Species 2014     105 (104/1) Species 2015     114 (112/2) Species The main number is the total species followed by the ABA countable and ABA uncountable species in parentheses. Greater Yellowlegs and Black-necked Stilt St. Johns River Short-billed Dowitchers St. Johns River Semipalmated Sandpiper St. Johns River When I began my June Challenge this year, I seriously questioned whether it was going to be possible to beat my 2014 total, but in the beginning of this year I found a g...

Bobolink I had a great morning at Marl Bed Flats today.  I found two Seminole County life birds: Semipalmated Sandpiper and Stilt Sandpiper. Of course, these birds aren't all that unusual along the coast, but inland they're a little more uncommon.  I've been keeping an eye out for both species this year, hoping they would turn up, but I didn't expect I'd see both in one day. Neither species was all that photogenic though, and other species were much more cooperative. Bobolink Bobolink Red-winged Blackbird Bobolinks and Red-winged Blackbirds were everywhere, particularly Bobolinks. I estimated that there were 150 of them there. Roseate Spoonbill There were about 8 Roseate Spoonbills, and these were the first I've seen this year in Seminole County. Semipalmated Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper One of the Semipalmated Sandpipers did pose for a photo briefly along with a Least Sandpiper in the background.