I returned to the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland today. What a difference the rain has made. The wading bird area has much higher water levels now and consequently not many wading birds at all. They also closed the Marsh Rabbit Run trail due to alligator mating/nesting season. There […]
Alligators are back in the news again as a southwest Florida boy lost his arm to a gator this week. Growing up in Florida and being interested in nature I have always enjoyed seeing and watching gators. I was taught to have a healthy respect for alligators, but not to […]
On my last visit to the Circle B Bar Reserve I got the chance to practice some flight photography. I stationed myself on the dock on Lake Hancock around sunrise. I started by trying to capture silhouettes of the birds as they flew past the rising sun and its reflection […]
These two photos are from my last trip to Viera Wetlands. The first shot is of a nesting Great Blue Heron with two young chicks. There is obviously a bit of sibling rivalry going on. The second shot is of three Glossy Ibis. They are a less common bird, but […]
Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) are one of the prettiest birds in Florida. Like the American Flamingo, their pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin. This species feeds in shallow fresh or coastal waters by swinging its bill from side to side as it steadily walks through the […]
A few other cool finds from the Circle B Bar Reserve on Sunday were a Firewheel or Indian Blanket and a Viceroy butterfly. The Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella) also goes by several other names including Indian blanket, Indian Blanketflower, or Sundance. They are one of my favorite wildflowers that grow in […]
Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers out there! Since grandma took the kids last night for a sleepover I made a quick trip to the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland again. The two things I really like about this place is that it is pretty close, about 45 […]
Viera Wetlands is one of the best places in Florida to photograph birds. On my last trip there i was able to photograph these Black Bellied Whistling Ducks as silhouettes at sunrise. I got several shots with but since several ducks were trying to stay on the same palm tree […]
The Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, Florida are a man-made wetlands that is a water reclamation area for Palm Beach County Utilities. There is a 3/4 mile boardwalk that provides good access for photographers and other nature watchers. The highlight at Wako is probably the Great Blue Heron nests which […]
The Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland is a new find for me, but has quickly become one of my favorite places. On my first visit I saw one of the best sunrises I have ever seen (View here). Today was my second visit and the highlight was a Sadhill […]