A few weeks ago we celebrated Dyeyo’s b-day early with a trip to Blue Cypress Lake.  Al0ng with friends Michael, Donna, and Susan, we took a pontoon boat ride to photograph the Ospreys nesting around the lake.  Dyeyo couldn’t believe how many nests there were – easily one per tree in certain areas.  It was a beautiful morning and we had a great time.

Joe Middleton from Middleton Fish Camp was our guide.  He knows every inch of the lake, and which birds are regular show-offs for photographers.  He first took us to photograph the Osprey fishing for their breakfasts.  The sun was hidden behind the clouds, so the light levels were challenging.

Blue Cypress Lake is a great place for landscape photography, too.  It is undeveloped, so there are no annoying houses or other human distractions along the shoreline.  I enjoyed photographing the standing cypress trees out in the water. Sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous when framed with the trees.  I can’t wait to go back next year.

The sun finally came out, and the Ospreys stopped fishing.  Joe took us to a very active part of the lake, where literally 20-30 Ospreys were flying around.  He was great at keeping the boat in the perfect position for wind and light.  The Osprey chased each other, and it was fun to try to capture the action shots.  Then I noticed the moon.  I actually did get several flight shots in front of the moon, but the birds were blurry.  So I had to resort to Photoshop to create this digital composite:

There was a trio of juvenile Ospreys on one nest that were particularly photogenic.  I love the expressions of the three below… :)

I used my intermediate telephoto lens a lot after the sun came out, but I was glad I had taken the Beast for close-ups of the juvenile birds.  You can tell which are the juvenile birds by their orange eyes.  This one has really pretty fresh plumage.  Good luck in your adventures in the world, little bird!