Every spring I look forward to photographing the baby swallows as they line up and dance to beg for food. Last Saturday at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (LAWD) I found Barn Swallows congregating near their nesting site. I grabbed my intermediate telephoto lens and challenged myself to get some sharp photos of these tiny aerial acrobats.
Barn Swallow in Flight
It’s a challenge to photograph these birds on the wing. They are rapid fliers as they zoom around over the canals. I think they are nesting under this one bridge. Occasionally they would land on a branch out over the water, so I positioned myself low on the bridge and waited. Then this bird posed right in front of my lens. :)
Barn Swallow
It’s quite fun to practice your flight photography skills on these little guys. I was happy to get a few shots in focus. When I looked at the images on my computer, I saw that the birds were dive-bombing insects in midair. They reminded me of the Swallow-tailed Kites that congregate over these same fields at the end of the summer.
It’s my favorite time of year – spring! All over, the birds are putting on their spiffiest feathers, pairing up, and raising cute little babies. It’s such fun to capture all those interactions. It’s been a while since I went to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, so yesterday I headed out to see what I could find…
This Anhinga posed right next to my car in gorgeous morning light and showed off his beautiful blue eye. He seemed to know I was taking his picture and even gave me a good head angle!
Anhinga Head Shot
I was a little surprised to find this pair of Great Blue Herons building a nest. The herons at Viera have been nesting for several months, and already some of the nests have hatched. This pair was just starting out. One is a juvenile bird so I wonder if this is a “practice” nest. Or maybe we’ll get to hear the persistent “neh-neh-neh” of baby herons at this location in a month or two!
Nesting Great Blue Herons
All the Pied-billed Grebes have the beautiful bright black markings on their faces and beaks. I didn’t spot any nests, but I’m hoping that they build some close to the road again this year. Watching the babies is such fun!
Pied-Billed Grebe in Breeding Plumage
I still haven’t found the White-faced Ibis that I see reported on eBird, but there were plenty of Glossy Ibis along the drive. They too have beautiful blue faces at this time of year. I enjoyed watching this one stalk his breakfast in the tall grasses.
Glossy Ibis in Breeding Colors
All over the place, Red-winged Blackbirds were giving the calls of springtime. They perch high in their nesting location to proclaim their territory. I love watching them fluff up their feathers as they call. I’m looking forward to photographing more baby blackbirds this year.
Red-winged Blackbird
A small flock of Caspian Terns was hanging out on Interceptor Road. Each time a car would go by, they’d take flight. I grabbed my intermediate telephoto and enjoyed each opportunity!
Caspian Terns
This little Green Heron also gave me some flight opportunities. I took his picture as I photographed the subject of my next post. You know it was a good morning when you get multiple blog posts out of it! Stay tuned… ;-)
This image has been in my mind’s eye for months. After several rainy Saturdays and a lot of focus stacking, I’m happy to post the results! One of my favorite hummer images refracted in a water droplet…
