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Lake Apopka without my Beast!

Posted Sunday, March 28, 2021Sunday, March 21, 2021 Jess Yarnell1 CommentPosted in Lake Apopka

Early mornings when the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is not open for vehicles are officially my favorite days! On this particular morning, I opted to leave my heavy Beast at home and see what fast-moving birds in flight I could catch with my 100-400. I had a good time, and ultimately concluded that my Beast is worth the weight! :)

My first birds of the morning were the flock of Fulvous Whistling-ducks calling happily in the marshes. I love listening to them! Their brown feathers glistened in the early morning sunlight.

The advantage of the lighter lens is that it’s faster to react when a bird comes flying towards you suddenly. This White Ibis appeared out of nowhere. Look at the bright orange beak and pale blue eye. I love watching birds in their breeding colors!

As I walked down Lust Road, I came across a lingered flock of Ring-necked Ducks. They’ll be leaving pretty soon for their summer breeding grounds. So I spent some extra time watching them, and they sure showed off for me!

Later I came across a Gray-headed Swamphen. He was wandering among the grasses in the distance, then he decided to fly in closer and closer. My first flight shots of this beautiful bird! I thought it was nice of him to fly toward the camera. :)

A small group of Mottled Ducks flew in. Apparently they had springtime rituals on their minds. There’s a lot of splashing involved when a male notices a good-looking female!

As I left, the same flock of Fulvous startled and took to the skies. They flew several circles around the marsh before setting in the shallow waters again

The ducks waved goodbye as I left. “Have a good week, see you soon!”

Birds in Flight on the South Shores of Lake Apopka

Posted Thursday, March 25, 2021Sunday, March 21, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Apopka

I headed to the south shore of Lake Apopka in early March to do some flight photography with my new R5 camera. I wanted to know if the autofocus is as great with birds in flight as it is with close-up shots. It is!!

The resident Snail Kite offered to help me learn to use my new camera. He flew closer than usual. I was amazed at how well I could focus on him. The camera stayed locked on the bird, despite the trees in the background. That beak certainly looks sharp. I’m glad I’m not an apple snail!

A Bonaparte’s Gull was seen at this location the previous week, so when I saw a gull take off, I quickly aimed and focused. But this was a common Ring-billed Gull. I loved how his wings glistened in the early morning light.

Two black birds hanging out by themselves turned out to be the uncommon Bronzed Cowbirds that have wintered near the lake. One of the birds has a bright red eye and a beautiful blue sheen to his feathers. A few minutes later, he hopped up onto the fence and started to sing for me!

The huge rafts of ducks in the lake were gone, a sure sign of spring. A Double-crested Cormorant flew by. I was surprised to see his bright blue eye from a distance.

It was a slower morning, with activity levels lower than usual. I settled on a park bench to watch the Boat-tailed Grackles in their springtime nesting behavior. The males were sitting tall, throwing their heads back, and calling loudly to impress the ladies. The females were busy, carrying nesting material and getting their nurseries ready. Their feathers glistened in the morning light. They made good flight shot targets…

As I prepared to leave, the Snail Kite came by to say goodbye. He asked me to come back soon! :)

Springtime Walk down Lust Road

Posted Monday, March 22, 2021Thursday, March 18, 2021 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Apopka

I’ve been enjoying birding at the Lust Road entrance to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive when it is closed to cars. It’s a beautiful walk, and you get to take time and enjoy the wildlife without people getting annoyed at waiting for you.

On this day in early March, my first bird was this Orange-Crowned Warbler hanging out near the entrance. You can see a tiny bit of his orange crown on the top of his head.

This little Pied-billed Grebe popped up in the canal. He’s in breeding plumage already. Hopefully I’ll find a nest or two this spring. The baby grebes are such fun to watch!

The ducks have begun to leave Florida already, migrating back up north to nest and raise their families. Some Ring-necked Ducks still lingered in the canals. This female raised her wings to wave at me!

I came across this Anhinga nest and stood watching as the birds interacted. The female was incubating eggs on the nest, and the male stood watch nearby. Sometimes he’d grab a twig and then help place it carefully on the nest. Look at that bright blue eye!

As I headed back to my car, I came across a group of American Coots creating a fuss. The next thing I knew, they were splashing around in a mating ritual. Look at those big white feet!

My last bird of the morning was a Downy Woodpecker working on his nest. You can see the cavity that he’s carving out with his beak. His mate watched from nearby to make sure he did it right. It’ll be fun to watch them raise their family this spring!