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!)
December 28, 2017 - The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive reopened just before Christmas. Even a foggy day there is a good day, complete with Merlin, Gadwall, American Wigeon, and a Vermilion Flycatcher!
December 25, 2017 - Some beautiful white Whooping Cranes make for a white Christmas in Florida
December 17, 2017 - Photographic highlights of the Lakeland Christmas Bird Count, Outfall Wetlands property. Best bird was Northern Waterthrush.
December 7, 2017 - A foggy morning made for a beautiful sunrise, the Grasshopper Sparrow cooperated, and the Clay-colored Sparrow surprised me :)
November 24, 2017 - My first visit to Viera Wetlands after Hurricane Irma yielded nesting Great Blue Herons, a fishing Belted Kingfisher, and first-of-fall coots!
November 5, 2017 - A pair of Eastern Bluebirds serenaded me while I watched mixed flocks of passerines wake up and search for their breakfasts.
October 29, 2017 - A fall walk at Orlando Wetlands Park gave me a chance to photograph our returning winter birds
September 5, 2017 - A Labor Day photo outing at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive yielded fall migrants: Yellow Warblers, Prairie Warblers, and the entertaining Belted Kingfisher
August 29, 2017 - A slow morning of photography at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive made perfect by one juvenile Barn Swallow :)
August 25, 2017 - Alligators, wading birds, and Ospreys all vied for fish in a feeding frenzy at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive pump house pond
August 23, 2017 - Another summer sunset at Magnolia Park. Always a fun place to photograph, even when the colors are just average!
August 19, 2017 - I photographed a third Pied-Billed Grebe nest far off in the marsh at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive in early July. Four little babies hatched! :)
August 15, 2017 - Red-winged Blackbirds were attacking Swallow-tailed Kites who hunted insects over the fields, right over the blackbirds' nest.
August 13, 2017 - My dad and I spotted our first-of-fall Belted Kingfisher at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive on July 16. Fall migration is underway!
August 11, 2017 - A morning of exciting action and flight photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive...and so many Osprey with Fish!
August 9, 2017 - More summer photography from the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Lots of juveniles-Pied-billed Grebe, Green Heron, Least Bittern, Purple Martins
August 7, 2017 - An early morning on the beach yielded three Green Sea turtles - a turtle hat trick for Rich!
August 5, 2017 - Another fun morning of photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (LAWD) - Green Herons, Common Gallinule, Least Bittern, White-winged Dove
August 3, 2017 - I photographed not one, not two, but fourteen bugs that Mom brought in to feed her baby Barn Swallows at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
August 1, 2017 - It's been fun photographing a few Mississippi Kites mixed in with the Swallow-tailed Kites at Lake Apopka Wildlife Refuge this summer
July 30, 2017 - Hundreds of Swallow-tailed Kites kettling overhead makes for a happy bird photographer...especially when the birds start feeding on the wing
July 28, 2017 - Over the 4th of July weekend I photographed some of nature's fireworks. The sunset was spectacular that evening at Magnolia Park!
July 26, 2017 - July 4th bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive: Osprey with Fish, yawning Least Bittern, swallows, and Swallow-tailed Kites!
July 24, 2017 - The photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is awesome this summer! Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue Grosbeak, Loggerhead Shrike, Indigo Bunting
July 22, 2017 - Photos of a Pied-billed Grebe family with two small chicks. They rode on Mom's back and struggled to eat fish for breakfast.
July 20, 2017 - I kicked off my July 4 weekend with a Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive visit and photographed all sorts of fun birds
July 18, 2017 - I found a Red-winged Blackbird nest at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, complete with two fledglings and a dad who fed them
July 16, 2017 - Photos of a Common Gallinule family tending their nest and three young chicks. Mom and Dad brought in food while a juvenile sibling baby-sat
July 14, 2017 - Rich and I photographed a nesting Green Sea turtle at the Archie Carr Wildlife Refuge in early July. The poor turtle was missing a flipper.
July 12, 2017 - A June morning of photography at Lake Morton yielded juvenile cygnets, Wood Ducks, Wood Storks, and a Common Gallinule nest
July 10, 2017 - Photography of Purple Gallinules at Lake Parker Park - and a few other fun birds!
July 8, 2017 - Another fun morning of bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, where my eyes were in the skies with flight shots galore!
July 6, 2017 - Baby Purple Gallinules and their parents posed for my camera at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
July 2, 2017 - My addiction to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive continues! On this particular visit, I scored a first-summer Orchard Oriole and my lifer Cave Swallow
June 28, 2017 - Fork-tailed Flycatcher in action - catching the bug, losing the bug, regaining the bug, and eating the bug!
June 26, 2017 - The photographer-cuckoos met the bird-cuckoo at Lake Apopka. We also saw Pied-billed Grebe babies, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, and our lifer Mississippi Kite! :)
June 24, 2017 - I got to photograph baby Pied-billed Grebes at their nest at Lake Apopka. They are so cute with their stripes and orange spots!
June 22, 2017 - A beautiful sunrise was just the start of a great morning of photography at Lake Apopka. Bitterns and grebes, oh my!
June 20, 2017 - Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive continues to yield great birds, including American White Pelicans and Red-breasted Merganser - in June!
June 18, 2017 - Happy Father's Day to my Dyeyo D! I'm so lucky to get to share lots of feather-brained adventures with you. Here's to many more!
June 16, 2017 - The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive has been such fun this month! Highlights of this visit include baby Killdeer, a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, a Roseate Spoonbill, and the ever-present baby aliens (Common Gallinules).
June 14, 2017 - A rare (to the US) Fork-tailed Flycatcher has been hanging out at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. What a fun bird! Such a tail!
June 12, 2017 - Least Bitterns are usually secretive, but apparently they like to come out on rainy days! Photos taken at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
June 10, 2017 - My first afternoon visit to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, in search of the rare White-faced Ibis and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Lots of great birds!
June 8, 2017 - Baby Barn Swallows are adorably cute as they beg for Mom to feed them. Photographs from the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.
June 6, 2017 - Action-packed morning at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, where bugs were being handed out to all the baby birds!
June 4, 2017 - Black-bellied Whistling Duck nesting territory disputes are very animated when more than 2 birds lay claim to a dead palm tree!
June 2, 2017 - A summer sunrise at Orlando Wetlands with the birds...Pileated Woodpecker, baby Purple Gallinules, some Least Bitterns, and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks!
May 23, 2017 - Happy World Turtle Day! Here are some ways to celebrate Rich's favorite flippered friends.
May 20, 2017 - Backroads birding in search of my Burrowing Owl family (that I didn't find).