Happy Squirrel
September 16, 2012 - Yesterday the first creature I saw when I arrived was this happy squirrel. He certainly did have his mouth full! He took his prize higher and higher into the tree to eat it.
Beyond the Backyard
While the blog started as a record of my backyard garden and birds, it quickly grew as I discovered bird photography. This page contains images taken “beyond the backyard” during my travels around Central Florida (and beyond!)
My First Northern Waterthrush
September 15, 2012 - I went to Mead Gardens this morning to search for migrant songbirds. It was a gray morning, and as I left, the rainclouds were growing very black. I wasn’t expecting to see much, and I didn’t. There were cardinals and mockingbirds, a pair of American Redstarts, some Tufted Titmice, a Brown Thrasher, several Carolina Wrens, […]
Cue the Yawn!
September 14, 2012 - It’s Friday…thank goodness! This Royal Tern seems to understand how I feel at the end of the week. Time for a weekend of photography and rest!
Time to Grow Up!
September 11, 2012 - While photographing the terns at Fort De Soto over Labor Day weekend, I heard the incessant fussing of a hungry juvenile. It didn’t take me long to spot the fusser, who looked all spiffy in his fresh juvenal plumage. (Adult shorebirds at this time of year have worn feathers, and are easily distinguished from their […]
North Beach Sunset
September 10, 2012 - This was the same sunset as the close-up Great Blue Heron sunset shot from a few nights ago. This wide-angle shot is a very different perspective! I was a little sad to see the changes in North Beach since the tropical storms re-shaped the beach. The terns practically had their own little beach with the […]
Ring-Necked Duck in July!?
September 9, 2012 - The last couple of times that I’ve been to Lake Morton, I’ve noticed this lone Ring-Necked Duck out in the water. With all the ducks, swans, and geese at the “menagerie,” you might not think that was so strange…except for the fact that all his friends flew north several months ago! I wonder what made […]
Flying Sandwiches
September 7, 2012 - I really enjoyed my Labor Day morning at Fort De Soto this past weekend. When I arrived at North Beach just after sunrise, I found the beach covered in terns. It was funny how the photographers walked right past Big Red to instead focus on the masses of terns. I practiced a lot of panning […]
Orange and Black
September 6, 2012 - Last Sunday at Fort De Soto, I walked onto North Beach and wondered what kinds of pictures I could take. The beach was crowded with people, the birds had all retreated into the bird sanctuary (smart birds!), and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. But as the sun got lower in the sky, it […]
Sunset Blast-Off
September 5, 2012 - Rich and I spent a happy couple of days at Fort De Soto over the Labor Day weekend. I know the shorebirds have been congregating there as they prepare for their fall migratory trip to South America. North Beach in the early mornings is a bird photographer’s paradise with hundreds of subjects in incredible light. […]
Springtime Bath
September 4, 2012 - This is a Laughing Gull shot from this spring that I finally got around to processing. I love this shot because it reminds me of what a happy morning it was when I took it. The breeze was cool, the sun felt good on my face, I was out on the beach for the first […]
Labor Day Cloudscape
September 3, 2012 - This cloudscape image was taken at Circle B about a week ago, as the clouds of Tropical Storm Isaac passed through. As it turned out, that’s pretty much all we got from Isaac – clouds and some rain. Although my dad did get a day off from school for it – lucky duck!
Here’s Lookin’ at You!
August 31, 2012 - This is a Barred Owl from my visit to Circle B last weekend. He was sitting high in the trees near the bend where the Alligator Alley trail turns towards the marsh. It’s one of the favorite hang-outs of the owls. I actually walked right past him, but some friendly people on the trails pointed […]
Save the Best for Last
August 30, 2012 - As I prepared to leave Lake Morton on Sunday, I stopped to photograph a Limpkin standing tall by the lakeside. I approached cautiously, tucking myself behind a tree so as not to surprise him. When I emerged on my knees to photograph him at eye-level, I was the one who got the surprise. He had […]
Late Bloomer
August 29, 2012 - I was a little surprised to find a tiny Mallard chick at Lake Morton on Sunday. He toppled into the water to follow Mom when I accidentally spooked her. He had a whole family of Mallards who seemed to be watching out for him. It’s unusual to see just one of this size – the […]
The Three Stooges
August 28, 2012 - When I got out of the car at Lake Morton on Sunday, these “Three Stooges” nearly knocked me over as they begged for food. They are so used to people feeding them that they expect everybody to be a food dispenser! No matter where you go around the lake, you find these guys, often in […]
Father Goose’s Teenagers
August 27, 2012 - Regular readers of my blog may remember Father Goose from about a month ago. He’s the goose at Lake Morton that befriends Muscovy ducklings and helps protect them as they grow up. A month ago, this is how he looked with his adopted family… Well, these days he’s looking after teenagers. While I was there […]
Gray Icky Morning at Lake Morton
August 26, 2012 - I stopped by Lake Morton this morning on my way to help my dad in his computer lab. It was very gray and nasty outside as Tropical Storm Isaac approached. But I haven’t had much opportunity to photograph lately, so even gray days are fun. Plus I always enjoy my time with the birds at […]
Circle B Awaits Tropical Storm Isaac
August 25, 2012 - Although the center of Tropical Storm Isaac is several days away, the wind was already picking up this morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. It felt great! I went out to Lake Hancock for the (lack of) sunrise, then stayed on the dock photographing birds in flight for almost an hour. The breezes were […]
Passion Flower
August 13, 2012 - I came across this passion flower out on the Eagle Roost trail at Circle B a few weeks ago. The bee decided to fly in while I was shooting. How nice!
Cloudy HDR
August 9, 2012 - Did I mention that the weather was really, really bad on Sunday at Viera Wetlands? :) But it was still a great morning. I liked how the dark clouds made a backdrop for the palm trees in this landscape image. It’s an HDR composite with some Nik ColorEfex tonal magic. I couldn’t resist taking out […]
Bigfoot Sighting
August 8, 2012 - I think I found Bigfoot last weekend at the Viera Wetlands! Dina calls these Common Gallinule chicks “alien babies,” which is an excellent description of the newborns. This guy is starting to molt into his juvenile plumage, and so I guess he’s half-alien. He also has a very big foot!!
A Rainy Day First
August 6, 2012 - I had a photography “lifer” yesterday at Viera Wetlands – my first up-close Stilt Sandpiper. He was hanging out with some Black-Necked Stilts in a nice shallow part of the water. He’s molting into basic plumage, and look at those wings! They show a lot of wear and tear from his long trip south. Non-birding […]
Cloudy Morning at Viera Wetlands
August 5, 2012 - I debated whether to go out to photograph this morning. The forecast was just plain gross – 70% cloudcover, 50% chance of rain by 11:00, and over 90% humidity. Yep, that’s Florida in the summer! But I woke up early and decided that it’s been weeks since I’ve been able to get out, so I […]
They’re Ba-ack!
August 2, 2012 - While I haven’t been out to see them myself, reports from Birdbrains indicate that the shorebirds are starting to arrive back in Florida for the winter. Yes, winter. It’s July! These birds are incredible. They get all spiffy-looking in their breeding colors in May, fly to the Arctic, have their babies, and arrive back in […]
The Ugliest Bird?
July 27, 2012 - I was going back through some of my old images and came across this Wood Stork, taken in January at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I love how some of his wing feathers are catching the light and look iridescent.
Picture Perfect
July 24, 2012 - A few weekends ago when I was photographing at Swan Lake (a.k.a. Lake Morton), I looked up from the cute babies to see this Mallard sitting posed in great light with a perfect reflection. I loved the contrast of his feathers against the blue lake background. I kinda wished the cute babies would have stood […]
Summer Sunrise at Circle B
July 22, 2012 - With a slight breeze in the forecast, I spent the morning out on the Wading Bird Way trail at the Circle B Bar Reserve. It’s been ages since I went, and it felt great to be there! The water levels are much higher than my last visit, when the Wading Bird Way lake was basically […]
Swan Lake
July 14, 2012 - My hubby isn’t the most, um, obsessed about birding. So I had to laugh when he asked me, “are you going back to the Goosey Pond this weekend?” He was referring to Lake Morton and Father Goose…but I had to disagree on his name for the place. I much prefer “Swan Lake!” :)
“Learn and Help”
July 12, 2012 - I was pleased to donate the use of one of my photographs to American Bird Conservancy’s Help Gulf Birds website aimed at protecting shorebirds on Florida’s coasts. Check it out!
Duck, Duck, Goose!
July 9, 2012 - All the birds at Lake Morton are playing “Duck, Duck, Goose!” as they watch Father Goose take care of his little ones. Mrs. Muscovy posed with her bright white face against a nice green background. She tried to be dignified, but it’s hard when you have a feather on your beak. This is one of […]
Father Goose
July 8, 2012 - Many human children grow up hearing the tales of Mother Goose. On Lake Morton, the young chicks grow up with Father Goose. This unique goose takes it upon himself to play nanny with young Muscovy duck families. I spent a sweet couple of hours with this little family on Saturday morning at Lake Morton. A […]
Lazy Morning at the Viera Wetlands
July 7, 2012 - The summer heat is definitely here in Florida, and I was too lazy to go for a hot hike last Sunday morning. So I went to Viera Wetlands, where I can bird and photograph from the air-conditioned comfort of my car! I like how I can cover more ground driving than hiking. I’ll find a […]
Bittersweet Skimmer Colony Memories
July 2, 2012 - For a year I've been looking forward to the hatching of a new crop of Black Skimmers at a colony located on the West Coast of Florida. Approximately 500 adults return to the same patch of beach to make their nests and raise their chicks. Closely supervised by the Audubon bird stewards, these birds co-exist […]
Burrowing Owls at Brian Piccolo Park
June 22, 2012 - I made it to Brian Piccolo Park this year after all! When Rich and I went to West Palm Beach to visit the turtles, we planned to also visit Butterfly World. I’ve been wanting to visit the free-flight hummingbirds there ever since I saw Jamie’s incredible photo of the butterfly landing on a hummer’s head. […]
Father’s Day at the Polk Rookery
June 20, 2012 - Herman invited my dad and me out on his boat to visit the Polk Rookery on Father’s Day. Activity there is winding down. Many of the young birds have already fledged. Recent rains have left the rookery cleaner — and less smelly — than I remember from the end of last season. There was still […]
Sunrise at the Shell Beach
June 13, 2012 - This weekend we visited my grandfather in West Palm Beach after doing our turtle walk. It was great to see him, and all the places in Juno that I used to visit as a child. I had been especially looking forward to photographing the sunrise at Coral Cove Park, better known in our family as […]
The Incredible Nesting Sea Turtle
June 10, 2012 - For years I’ve been telling Rich about going on turtle walks when I was little. My grandparents lived really close to Loggerhead Park, a turtle rehabilitation center. It was right across the street from the beach. The center occasionally sponsored walks at night, allowing people to see the adult turtles as they come to the […]
Dixie Iris
June 3, 2012 - After a photograph-packed weekend last weekend, this weekend was “catch up around the house.” So today’s image is a Dixie Iris that I photographed at the Circle B Bar Reserve back in early March. It was so pretty, blooming along the Alligator Alley trail, that I just had to stop and get it. Even if […]
Eyes on You
June 2, 2012 - I was very excited to have an unexpected opportunity to photograph a Burrowing Owl family last weekend. It was a rainy morning, thanks to Tropical Storm Beryl. I found the adult owls sitting on fenceposts, and several chicks were sitting on the burrow beneath. How fun! They are so small and cute! I’ve never seen […]
Put Your Best Spoon Forward!
June 1, 2012 - I spent last Sunday morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. Boy it feels good to get back out there! I was happy to find lots and lots of Roseate Spoonbills still hanging around off the Wading Bird Way trail. I counted over 100! These beautiful birds are some of my favorite ones to photograph. […]
Gather Ye Tern Chicks While Ye May…
May 31, 2012 - Last Saturday I had the privilege of photographing the Least Tern Colony near Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine. The Least Terns are the smallest terns in their family, and each year they come to St. Augustine in the spring to lay their eggs and raise their families. Their nests are nothing more than tiny indentations […]
No Vacancies!
May 29, 2012 - I’m still going through my images from Saturday morning at the Fort Matanzas tern colony. There was a nest that was very very close to us, and it was incredible! So I’ll have a full post tomorrow, and until then, here’s a teaser…no vacancies!
Dinnertime for Junior at the Winter Park Osprey Nest
May 28, 2012 - Last week I made another visit to the Winter Park Osprey nest. The baby has gotten so big since my last visit! He is clearly visible over the side of the nest now. Mama was feeding him as I arrived. Mmm, fish was on the menu… Mama feeds the baby by tearing off little bits […]
Happy Birthday, Dyeyo D!
May 24, 2012 - 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 […]
One More from my Visit to the Circle B Bar Reserve
May 22, 2012 - One more post from Sunday’s trip to the Circle B Bar Reserve… There’s a new family of Sandhill Cranes out on Wading Bird Way. The adults had the colts out on a “vegetation island” while I was there. From the pictures posted on Flickr, it looks like they later brought the babies up onto the […]
More from Circle B Bar Reserve
May 21, 2012 - As I drove to work with the rising sun in my eyes this morning, all I could think was that I’d rather be at the Circle B Bar Reserve! :) It’s unusual when I have such a good morning that I have to extend my description to multiple blog posts. This one is looking like […]
Sunrise Wings at Circle B Bar Reserve
May 20, 2012 - It’s been ages since I’ve been to Circle B. It’s sad…I used to go there every weekend, at least! So it felt great to spend the morning on Wading Bird Way. The water levels are really really low. Half of the “lake” is now a mud flat. But the good thing is that the low […]
A Quest for a Black Belly
May 18, 2012 - I was on a quest this spring to photograph a Black-Bellied Plover in full breeding plumage. As I visited Fort De Soto periodically throughout their molting time, I was able to catch them at various stages of color. I got close to catching a fully molted bird, but not quite…maybe next year!
Junior is Getting Bigger
May 17, 2012 - I dragged Rich to Winter Park last Friday for dinner and an Osprey nest. The baby Osprey is getting bigger. Last time he was barely visible over the side of the nest. He was pretty active when I first arrived, while his mom fed him. Then he hunkered down underneath her for a nap, and […]
