Backyard Exploring

It was a great evening, so we decided to go out in the backyard to look around and see what we could find. On our way out the front door, we found a Giant Silkmoth clinging to the side of the house. It has a wingspan of six inches, and is very active during the night. It is probably the coolest looking moth we have ever seen.

We then made our out to the "pond" as we like to call it, and on the perimeter we spotted the female Wild Turkey we have seen several times the past few weeks. She was too far to get a good shot, as she wandered into the woods. As we walked around the pond, we found the Anhinga that has taken up residence, and in a little ditch beside the pond, we found a small three-foot Alligator just sitting there watching us.

In that same little ditch, we also spotted a little green Bull Frog enjoying the warm sunshine. Daddy Osprey from up the street swooped by several times looking for fish, as well an an immature Little Blue Heron.

As we made our way back home, we saw daddy Cardinal that has made a nest outside our window, watching over his mate with hopefully some new babies to come soon. In the distance, we heard the female Red Sholdered Hawk, and then spotted a male Redwing Blackbird. As we got closer, out popped from the water plants three babies, all flying and chirping around the pond.

Not too shabby of an evening just taking a walk around the ol' backyard.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Memorial Mayhem

We had so much fun yesterday at Fort De Soto, we decided to head back to spend the day out in the Salt Marshes and around the bay to look for wildlife. The park was even more crowded then it was Saturday, and the beaches was wall-to-wall with beachgoers. We found our spot in the marshes behind the beach along the mangroves, and we were the only ones there, along with a few Egrets and Herons.

We got there a little earlier then the day before, and thought it was going to be a bust to shoot wildlife since there was little to be found, but since it was still early, we set up camp to see what we could find, and with low tide coming in a few hours, we figured it would get hoping soon.

Low tide starting to roll in, and with it, came the birds. American Oystercatchers, Sanderlings, Redwing Blackbirds, Great Blue Herons, Tri-Colored Herons, Snowy Egrets, Least Terns, Pelicans, Ospreys, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Marbled Godwits, Reddish Egrets, a juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron and to our surprise, fourteen Roseate Spoonbills showed up in the evening.

We also spent time in the mangroves and mudflats and found Blue Crabs, Starfish, Lightning Whelk egg cases, Crown Conchs and Conch egg cases, snails, Margin Shells, Marine Worms, Moon Snail Collars and tons of juvenile fish.

As we were leaving Fort De Soto, we quickly saw there was a huge traffic jam leaving the island, and when it wasn't moving for quite sometime, we realized something was wrong. We pulled into the main concession area at Historic Fort De Soto and talked with a couple who heard that the only bridge off the island over Terra Verde was stuck in the up position, and has been broken for several hours now. It was getting dark fast, and the thought of having to spend the night on the island was kinda scary. We took it in stride, and took a stroll down the deserted beaches, listening to the waves crash into the shore and gazing up at the thousands of stars in the sky.

Traffic starting moving again, and we left the island around 11pm. It was an exhausting day, but yet another great way to spend the weekend.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Mucking Around

Being that it is Memorial Day weekend, we expected the beaches to be packed, so we waited to late-day to head to one of our favorite beaches, Fort De Soto. We met up with our friends Bret and his wife from Fort Lauderdale to photograph the birds, and we sure weren't disappointed.

With temperatures in the low 90's and the humidity on the rise, being at the beach was a great idea, for the cool breezes from the Gulf of Mexico made it tolerable. We set up camp around the salt marshes on North Beach, and found numerous birds to photograph, including American Oystercatchers, Sanderlings, Redwing Blackbirds, Great Blue Herons, Tri-Colored Herons, Snowy Egrets, Least Terns, Pelicans, Ospreys, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Marbled Godwits, Reddish Egrets, and to our surprise, five Roseate Spoonbills.

It was a great way to spend an afternoon and evening at Fort De Soto, and the sunset was just as beautiful as it has ever been.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

That's More Like It

The Wet/Hurricane Season starts next week, and the latest forecasts have temperatures now in the low to mid 90's, and the humidity is slowly creeping up as well. During the daytime in the interior of the state, large 50,000 foot storm clouds are starting to form due to the high temperatures and humidity which is a sight to see.

Time now to hit the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and enjoy the next several months of heat and humidity until November. Bring it on...

Discovered

Beaches are the number one recreational destination for Americans. These sandy playgrounds that line our coasts are the most extensive natural parks in the country. Nothing restores the body and soul like a stay at the beach. We are naturally drawn to the rhythmic pounding of the waves as if returning to our primordial beginnings.

"Doctor Beach" is out with his listing of the top ten beaches in the country. A beach in Maui is the best, but Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin is second, and Barefoot Beach Park in Bonita Springs is 10th. Doctor Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University listed Fort Desoto Park first last year, but under his system, best beaches can't repeat.

America's Top Beaches for 2006 are:
1. Fleming Beach Park, Maui, Hawaii
2. Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida
3. Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks, North Carolina
4. Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York
5. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii
6. Main Beach, East Hampton, New York
7. Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California
9. Hamoa Beach, Maui, Hawaii
10. Barefoot Beach Park, Bonita Springs, Florida

The Honeymoon Island/Caladesi beaches are a special place for us, for when we first arrived in Florida, we spent almost our entire summer there enjoying in our opinion the best beach in the Tampa Bay area, from the powder-white sandy beaches to the nature trails. It is a peaceful place to wash your troubles away.

Living With Danger

Humans and alligators are increasingly sharing a limited amount of space, and the past week has been nothing short of hysteria in Florida. It's the first time in recorded Florida history that alligators have killed three people in the same month. Alligators haven't killed more than three people in any one year.

With the recent long dry spell making it is harder for the alligators to find water, coupled with the fact that this is a particularly active time of year, for it is courting, mating and nesting season for the alligators.

One thing is for sure, since we arrived in Florida, we have never stepped foot into fresh water of any kind here, for alligators are found just about everywhere. Where you find fresh water, chances are an alligator lives in it. We have seen them right outside in our backyard, in ditches, lakes and swampy marshes.

With our encounter in the Everglades in Shark Valley a few weeks ago, where one alligator came right out of the water and onto the road after us, we are very cautious when around areas they could be found, and give them the respect and space they require.

Photo Essay: Cape Coral

A few weeks ago, we learned about a little owl that lives here in Southwest Florida, the Burrowing Owl. We made plans to spend the weekend in Cape Coral, Florida, which is lies between Fort Myers and Sanibel Island to see first hand these little owls.

Cape Coral is home to Florida's largest population of Burrowing Owls. When development first began in the area of Cape Coral and the land was clear-cut for homes, these owls found suitable habitat in the sandy soil of freshly cleared lots and set up residence. They can be found just about anywhere, and in Cape Coral, and there are four main sites that have the greatest concentration which is the Public Library, City Hall, and two local parks.

Burrowing Owls either create new or make use of abandoned burrows to live in and nest. They stand approximately nine inches tall and weigh roughly four ounces. Active both during day and night, they can often be seen either peering out of their burrow or standing atop the small mound of sand over it, as well as mailboxes, poles, signs and rooftops.

We made our way down to Cape Coral, and selected Skyline Drive and the Public Library as our first stop. Words cannot describe seeing these little owls, just sitting there on their burrows and the man-made perches and markers that surround the nest sites. They just sit right on the side of the road, in front of people's homes, businesses, parks, empty home sites, everywhere.

We went to the other three main areas where they nest, but found the library to be the most active, so we decided to stay there all day to observe and photograph these little creatures. We approached slowly to their burrows, and they never moved. If we however got a little too close, they let us know by bobbing their heads and making screeching noises, so we made sure to respect their comfort zone. This was a great time to visit them, for we not only saw the adults, but we also saw hundreds of babies, with about each burrow and nesting pair having four to six babies each.

Many of the babies were a little timid at first when they popped up out of the ground from their underground burrows, but once they got comfortable with us being there, some went to sleep, others took short flights to practice how to fly. It was an amazing sight to say the least. We stayed around the library until dusk, then made our way down to our hotel in Bonita Springs for the evening.

On Sunday, we took the long way back up to Cape Coral, with stops in Bonita Beach, Lovers Key, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island and Captiva. After a day on the beaches and exploring the mangroves in Lovers Key, we made our way back up to Cape Coral to see the Burrowing Owls one last time. Although we have been to many places in our first year in Florida, this by far was the most amazing sight we have ever seen.

----------
View the photos taken of the Burrowing Owls in Cape Coral, Florida

Pushing The Limits

For the past couple of weeks, we have spotted a female Barred Owl sitting right outside our bedroom window, sitting up on a pole. She typically has been coming around before midnight, but last night she showed up around 1 o'clock in the morning. Luckily, we can spot her on the pole for it is real close to our house, and it is lit using ground spot lighting. I got the idea of trying to photograph her in almost complete darkness and see if I could get lucky.

One thing's for sure when photographing wildlife, including birds, that they are one of the most difficult subjects to shoot, for almost always one is dealing with extreme conditions and pushing the limits. Whether it is the weather, lighting, contrasts, shadows and throw in the fact they don't sit still, it really is tough. None however is tougher then photographing a Barred Owl at 1 o'clock in the morning, using only very little available light, and shooting through a double-paned glass window.

I fired off about fourty shots, all of course very long exposures, but the nice thing about owls, they really don't move, except when rotating their head looking for prey. It also doesn't hurt when one knows Photoshop to tweak the images to perfection.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Where's The Rain?

With the dry season still with us, it's starting to get harder and harder to find some of the birds in their usual spots. It hasn't rained at all since early February in many parts of the Tampa Bay area, or much of Florida for that matter. Brush fires are now becoming a real threat, and many are breaking out everyday now across the state. Many cities have started water conservation acts, and water is being severely restricted.

The birds haven't left, they have just become more concentrated in the areas where water is abundant, such as the lakes, streams and along the beaches. It's not uncommon to see up to ten different wading and shore birds all grouped together. Hopefully the rains will come soon, for many of the retention and small ponds are either real low, or completely dried up.

----------
UPDATE: We finally got rain early Tuesday morning, with most areas getting around one to two inches, and was a welcome sight (and sound).

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Movie Star... Kinda

A couple of months back I blogged about an interview with the local "iNetwork" Television Network affiliate here in Tampa, WXPX-66, for a show titled "i on Tampa Bay".

My segment is about the photographs I have shot in the short time I have been in the Tampa Bay area as we travel around and show the photographs and the stories that accompany them, and my story of someone who grew up and lived in the Midwest, moved to the Tampa Bay area, and how we have adjusted to the move.

I just got a copy of my segment, and you can watch the broadcast in it's entirety below. It was kinda weird to see and hear myself on the big screen, but I think the interview went better then I expected.

----------
iOnTampaBay - Episode 3   (QuickTime Format - 28:34 - 28MB)

Barred Owl

Once again, we found ourselves amazed. Late in the evening, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, just to get out and enjoy the warm evening sun and se what we could find. We took a turn up the street heading towards SunTrust Bank that sits on the corner of our street, and the walkway takes us right past a swamp that has huge hardwood trees and tall pines. We stopped at a clearing to look into the swamp, and looked up and there sat a Barred Owl looking down at us.

Barred Owls live in old forests near marshes or ponds, and are very common in Florida. They nest in the big holes left by broken branches. They don’t really build a nest in the hole, but may put some soft feathers or grass in the bottom. If they can’t find a tree hole, they may use an old nest left by a Hawk, Crow, or Squirrel, for they hardly ever build their own nests. The same male and female stay together on a one square mile territory all year. They do not migrate and each year they use the same nest. The mother lays 2-3 white, almost round eggs. When the babies are born, they are covered with white fluffy down and their eyes stay closed for a whole week.

It is a long time before the babies can fly, about 40 days. Before this, they crawl out of the nest and sit together on a branch to look around. If they fall out of the tree, they can usually climb back up using their strong beaks and talons. The parents hunt for their food and tear meat into small pieces they can eat. After the babies learn to fly, they follow their parents around and learn to hunt. The parents will still feed them for a long time. The mother is a little bigger than the father, but otherwise, males, females, and teenagers look just alike.

What a sight to behold. We stood there and watched her as she looked around looking for prey, for little did we know, just after she took off from her perch, a little baby popped out from a nearby tree and made his way to a flat area of a tree branch covered in Spanish Moss. Also, for the past several nights, we have spotted her sitting right outside our lanai, most likely hunting for food for her newborn babies.

Amelia

A couple of weeks ago weeks ago, I met Bret at Honeymoon Island when we were photographing the baby Great Horned Owls, and we struck up a conversation and shared ideas and tips when photographing the Owls and numerous Ospreys. Bret really doesn't photograph wildlife or birds, so I was glad to offer advice.

As we were leaving, we got to talking, and he told me that he owns a photo studio over in Dania Beach, Florida called Caught Up in the Moment Studios, and he shoots models. He invited me to assist at a model shoot he was doing this past weekend, so since this would be a new experience for me, I accepted to help assist on the shoot and gain some valuable experience.

On Saturday, we met up in Tarpon Springs at the Sponge Docks to scout for some locations, and we had several picked out to do the shoot. The model, 20 year-old Amelia who also lives in Tarpon Springs made it to the location, and we began to set up the shoot right on the Sponge Docks. The lighting was terrible that day, for it was completely overcast, making for some flat lighting. Bret brought a portable light kit to help compensate for the lack of good natural light.

We stopped traffic no doubt, as many passerby's stopped to watch, some even taking photos themselves. One character who was outside a restaurant came over to try to see what we were up to. During our scouting, we noticed a biker bar, Sawgrass Bar & Grill, and we asked our new friend if he knew any of the bikers in the bar and would they mind if we had Amelia sit on their bike and allow us to take photos. We were then introduced to "Dennis" from the gang "Iron Coffins", and once he saw the model, he agreed without question. The bar owner even allowed him to roll the Harley-Davidson right into the bar for some very cool photos.

Needless to say, it was a rockstar atmosphere at the Sawgrass, and we stopped traffic up and down the street. We wrapped up our photo shoot at the Sawgrass, and went around some other place around the Sponge Docks, then headed down to Fred Howard Park to get some beach shots as luck would have it, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and provided a picture perfect sunset at the beach.

Since I was assisting I really didn't get a lot of shots of the model, but I came away with some valuable experience and learned a great deal. It also was great to work with Bret, and more importantly Amelia, who was a natural in front of the camera, and one hell of a model.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)