Blog - Page 50 of 756 - catandturtle

Summer Life at the Edge of Lake Apopka

Posted Friday, July 9, 2021Saturday, June 12, 2021 Jess Yarnell1 CommentPosted in Lake Apopka

Lots of little birds are growing up on the south shore of Lake Apopka! I headed to my favorite quiet morning place on Memorial Day and found some great birds.

When I first arrived, a female Least Bittern was fishing at the edge of the reeds. As I watched, a small alligator approached, sending the Common Gallinules into a fussing frenzy. The male Least Bittern popped out to see what was going on, confirming my suspicion that there’s probably some nesting going on in those reeds!

Remember the Purple Gallinule families from a few weeks ago? Well, the babies are growing up. One of the smallest black babies climbed out into the open and posed for the camera. Look at those big feet!

Some of his siblings have started to get their juvenile feathers already. The three siblings made a short appearance together. The biggest one was already sporting a light brown tummy.

The juvenile grackles were everywhere! Nagging juveniles chased Mamas through the air. The juvies are never going to learn to hunt for food themselves if the mothers keep feeding them…

When I heard the calls of Black-bellied Whistling-ducks, I quickly focused on the pair of whistlers that were flying past the lakeshore. I love their cheerful happy calls!

Black-bellied Whistling-duck Pair in Flight

Next I heard the little chattering calls of the Purple Martins overhead. One of them kept darting out over the lake, then returning to the tree where they hang out. I suspect she was grabbing bugs in mid-air to take back to the kids.

The lady who feeds the birds every morning showed up, causing all the birds to go into a flying feeding frenzy. This Rock Pigeon’s feathers glistened beautifully as he flew in for breakfast.

Every once in a while, I noticed a Least Bittern emerge from the reeds and fly a short distance. I started trying to catch the flight shots. They were challenging. Not only are the Least Bitterns secretive, but they spend most of their time deep in the reeds. This was my best shot.

As the sun got high in the sky, I spotted an Osprey flying in with a fish from the lake. Of course he was flying against the sun. But I loved the open mouth of the fish, so I processed the photo in sepia tones to de-emphasize the harsh light. It was a great end to a fun visit!

More from the South Shore of Lake Apopka

Posted Wednesday, July 7, 2021Saturday, June 12, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Apopka

On my last visit to the south shore of Lake Apopka, I didn’t just see the juvenile Purple Martins feeding in mid-air. Plenty of other birds were enjoying the cool summer morning on the lake shore. Let’s go meet them!

The Alligator Flags were full of Purple Gallinules. This juvenile bird paused to stare at me. Look at his giant feet! I guess their large toes help them grasp the long poles of the alligator flags. I never get tired of watching these birds go pole-vaulting!

Juvenile Purple Gallinule on Alligator Flag

Remember the Purple Gallinule families from a few posts ago? I relocated the tiny black chicks a week after I first photographed them. They grow fast! Pretty soon this bird will look like the juvie above.

The gallinules weren’t the only ones raising a family on the south shores of Lake Apopka. I found a family of three Limpkins, with one adult and two mostly-grown chicks. They were right underneath the dock, so it was hard to get on a good angle, but I liked how this one turned out. Apple snail, anyone?

Later one of the juveniles was standing alone. He didn’t mind when I sat down and took a head shot. You can tell he’s still a juvie, but he won’t be for long.

Speaking of juveniles, it was impossible to miss the Boat-tailed Grackles nesting in the reeds. The babies are obnoxious. Some of the juveniles are bigger than the parents, but the juvie haven’t figured out how to feed themselves yet. So they pester Mom relentlessly. Here one amuses himself with a water lily.

There was no sign of the babies from the Red-winged Blackbird nest, which was empty. I did like this shot of a male adult red-wing singing in the alligator flags. He was in shade and his background was in the sun, making for beautiful soft colors.

A dragonfly perched close to me, and I couldn’t resist a quick shot. Hopefully this one doesn’t become food for hungry baby martins!

A Least Bittern started up a game of Peek-a-boo from within the reeds. A few minutes later, he flew out and circled around. I got a few clicks on him, looking forward to the day that the Least Bittern flies at me instead of away from me. Still, a flight shot is a flight shot, and this one was a great end to a beautiful morning!

Feeding Time for the Purple Martins

Posted Monday, July 5, 2021Saturday, June 12, 2021 Jess Yarnell2 CommentsPosted in Lake Apopka

It was a quiet morning on the south shore of Lake Apopka. Overhead I heard the chattering calls of Purple Martins. I located four of them sitting in the top of a tall tree. Periodically they would dart out, fly around, and then return to the tree to rest. I positioned myself on a good sun angle and waited for the next flight shots. I’ll confess that there was a small bit of squealing when I saw the images on my computer…

It was a juvenile Purple Martin who flew out from the tree. He met Mom in mid-air. Mom had a tasty dragonfly for him. He hovered briefing as she flew in for the handoff.

The handoff happened very quickly. On my next frame, Mom was flying off, and the baby had a mouth full of dragonfly! A second juvenile joined the flight party.

The dragonfly disappeared quickly. The juvie had it in this next frame, then it was gone in the following image. gulp!

A few seconds later, both juvies flew in the opposite direction, probably off to find Mom to beg for some more breakfast. It takes a lot of bugs to feed a growing Purple Martin!