Life with a Camera

Slight Pause due to Virus

2012-01-27T11:27:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, the very nasty malware/trojan/virus that is making its way across the internet infected my computer yesterday. Unable to fix it myself, I headed down to computer service group where I bought the computer. The computer behavior indicates it is likely this very nasty virus. According to the people there, at least forty other people are currently ahead of me for the same thing! Every other computer brought in lately has this virus. So, there will be no postings this week or probably next week. I hope to resume the following week with some photos of a Savannah Sparrow photographed at Weeki Wachi Preserve.
Thank you for your patience.

Nesting Osprey at Honeymoon Island State Park

2012-01-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Osprey Nature Trail at Honeymoon Island State Park (Dunedin, FL), always a birder’s paradise, comes alive this time of year with the nesting season of some of its largest avian inhabitants. Each year the trail takes on the look of an outdoor photography studio, with photographers of all levels, from point-and-click, to outfits that require a golf bag or similar apparatus to haul down the trail, making their way along to get that special photograph.
The questions are similar each year: “Have the eagles nested yet?” and “Does anyone know where the Great Horned Owls are nesting this year?”. No one asks about the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). With so many nests, they call, swoop, and fly everywhere on the trail.
We watched several pairs patching their nests, coming back with fish, and even squawking a bit at others when they flew too close. The Osprey catches fish in its talons, swooping down into the water and taking off again. They always fly with the fish positioned with the head first.
I photographed a series of shots of this nest. One Osprey went fishing and brought the catch back to the nest for his mate. He spent a lot of time calling and flying before finally heading into the nest.

Christmas Bird Count 2011

2012-01-17T15:08:00.000-05:00

We volunteered for the Christmas Bird Count in Central Florida as we do every year. This year we ventured to Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park in West Pasco County. I prepared by downloading the bird checklist for the park from the internet, and reviewing the winter bird species, particularly the warblers. The cold, dark morning of December 30 gave way to a beautiful day within a couple of hours. Our team, consisting of Karl, myself and one of our birding partners for many years did quite well. We sighted dozens of American Robins and Tree Swallows, many warblers, all the “usual suspects” of woodpeckers, and ended the morning with 36 separate species, not including a sparrow we could not positively ID.

I kept the count, so my photography took a back seat to finding and identifying birds and recording the findings of the team in my field notebook. I tried using the four letter abbreviation of common names for the first time. I suspect a few of my notations were more creative than correct. I made a note to review the letter codes before bird banding starts in spring.
We saw and heard several Pine Warblers. This male perched in an oak tree long enough for me to take a couple of shots. I also managed to get a shot of a Blue Headed Vireo. My big find of the day, a Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker, climbed a limb in a very shadowed area and then flew away, denying me the photograph. Oh well, it was a beautiful sight.

We hiked all the areas known for Ovenbird sightings with no luck. We encountered plenty of mosquitoes in those areas, and did add other species to the list.
Using some of the learning from our Wildlife Monitoring course, completed in December, I kept more accurate notes including weather, locations, and start times.

Dragon Tree: Story in a Picture

2012-01-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

Can you see a dragon (or maybe a serpent) in the texture and lines of this tree trunk? This tree grows near the end of the Nature Trail at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park in New Port Richey, FL.

Stephen Foster Cultural Center State Park

2012-01-10T07:31:00.000-05:00

We chose Stephen Foster Cultural State Park as our October destination because of the Suwannee River. We toured and hiked the Lower Suwannee area two years ago, and wanted to visit the upper Suwannee area.

This park, on the banks of the upper Suwannee River, celebrates the memory of Stephen Foster. A museum showcases Foster’s music with dioramas and provides vignettes of his too-short life. Foster died at age 37, three days after falling and hitting his head in his hotel room. Two of Foster’s creations are state songs: “My Old Kentucky Home” for Kentucky, and “Old Folks at Home” (aka “Suwannee River”) for Florida.
The 97-bell carillon plays Foster music throughout the day, and also chimes out the hour and quarter hour. The bottom floor houses more memorabilia from Foster and his time.

Bell Tower in setting sun

A large gift shop and craft village adds to the different experience of this state park. Unfortunately, none of the volunteer artisans appeared for the four days we stayed. The ranger said that they more frequently showed up on weekends. For a listing of the artisans, see the Friends of Stephen Foster Cultural Park website (http://www.stephenfostercso.org/index.html).

We loved the campground. The Florida State Parks system provides very nice camping facilities, and generally the sites have some green area in-between for privacy. We found the campground lightly populated and quiet, but we camped when schools were back in session and before the snow birds came back.

Ghost Crabs

2012-01-05T15:32:00.001-05:00

Our November trip to St. George Island State Park introduced me to a new crustacean for my life list: the Ghost (or Sand) Crab. The introduction occurred as we frightened each other causing it to scurry away and me to cry out. I walked along a stretch of beach and saw what appeared to be a shell. I poked it with my toe, and a large creature with long legs and black eyes on stalks jumped up and ran. Not expected a living thing, I exclaimed loudly causing Karl to stop and come in my direction.

Ghost Crab guarding burrow

Ghost Crabs blend into the sand perfectly, and are difficult to see until they start moving. At two to three inches of body size, then adding in the legs, they are a fairly large land crab. The black eyes perch at the end of stalks. As we drove out mornings we saw the crabs warming themselves on the pavement. Actually, we did not see them until they felt the vibration of the van and we suddenly would see them running toward the sand on either side.

Ghost Crab Burrow

Hanging out on the boardwalk

White Springs Florida

2012-01-03T09:11:00.001-05:00

Once Florida springs attracted visitors from all over the country and world to take the healing waters. Victorian America flocked to White Springs, FL in the early 1900s, prompting a building boom and thriving commerce. A coquina and concrete bathhouse build in 1904 complimented the then 14 hotels in business to accommodate the visitors. Today, people visit White Springs for the Steven Foster Cultural Center State Park. We camped there in October, and enjoyed walking through the quaint town and admiring the older buildings still standing.

The Telford Hotel, the only one of the original 14 still in business

We inquired when we arrived about a place to have lunch. Two options existed, and of the two we chose the Telford Hotel, build in 1902. The common rooms off the lobby reflect the society at the time. People socialized or sat and read in common rooms, they did not lock themselves into their individual hotel room. Lunch consisted of three small buffet stations. The first upon entering the dining room held a tempting display of desserts, the second a salad station, and the third main courses and sides. After driving over 4 hours, we appreciated both the food and the small town hospitality.

The Bath House, closed and under repair

The Adams Country Store, originally build in the mid 1800s to handle the bustling commerce attracted to the area, still stands as an imposing structure. According to local newspaper reports, restoration of this magnificent and historic building continues.

The town library is located in a former gas station.

A friend told us we must eat at the Swannee Diner when in the area for a true Florida meal. We could find no reference to the diner, but walking along taking photographs one morning we discovered the reason. Unfortunately, it apparently went out of business, but the facinating facade still decorates the street.

A Little Close...

2011-12-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

At any site in Florida, an alligator causes nearly everyone to stop, watch, and take pictures. At Sawgrass Lake Park near St. Petersburg, FL, this young alligator drew quite a crowd. Even the soft-shelled turtles couldn't resist, though they came much closer than anyone else dared.

St. George Island State Park

2011-12-26T16:39:00.000-05:00

We visited St. George Island State Park and camped there in our RV for a week mid-November. The mosquitoes at the campsite were outrageous, but I read a review prior to leaving that mentioned the high mosquito activity so we were somewhat prepared.
The angle of the November sun led to some interesting colors and shadows on the incredible sand dunes. The dunes looked surreal in the sun. With the sand so white they appeared to be snow covered hills, until your eyes and mind take in the clumps of bright yellow flowers.
I walked the road nearly every morning at sunrise and every evening at sunset to marvel at the colors and shadows.

The long shadows from the setting sun

What appears to be part of a boardwalk jutting out of the sand

Note the golden cast from the morning sun

Brooker Creek Preserve Gift Shop

2011-12-07T08:59:00.000-05:00

The Brooker Creek Preserve Gift Shop at Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs re-opened October 14, just in time for the Wildflower Festival. This nature-themed shop carried items related to the Preserve.

View of Gift Shop located in lobby

The Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve operate the gift shop, along with the volunteers at Brooker Creek Preserve. All profits stay at Brooker Creek Preserve to fund programs and projects.

Karl and I consign photography to the gift shop for sale. All of the photographs exhibited and for sale show scenes, wildlife, or flowers at BCP. Here is a sample:

The hiking trails, exhibit hall, and most programs at the Preserve are free, and there is no admission or parking charge. Visit this wonderful, wild place located in the most densely populated county in Florida!

It's Summer

2011-06-08T08:10:00.000-04:00

While not officially summer, the summer weather arrived here in Central Florida in late April. The forecast for the next week is high humidity, temperatures in the low 90s, and a chance of rain everyday, in other words, Summer.

Some of the readers of this blog have followed us for a couple of years now. As you know, posting gets thin this time of year because with the heat and insects, especially the yellow flies, we do not spend as much time hiking.

We continue to expand the nature and travel end of the business, while exploring other areas. By Autumn I hope to be able to announce a new retail outlet for our work.

Have a wonderful summer!

Gardens and Villages

2011-05-23T15:19:00.000-04:00

This time of year, Florida blooms. On May 12 we drove to Largo, Florida, to visit the Pinellas County Botanical Gardens, and Heritage Village right next door. I did have an ulterior motive; I wanted to test a new camera lens. My workhorse Canon 100mm – 400mm still serves me well as a main lens, but lately I feel its limitations. I wanted another lens for landscapes, and for travel. The 100mm-400mm just attracts too much attention. After researching and reading reviews, I purchased a Tamron 18-270mm with vibration control. The day after receiving it, we went to the gardens.

The Pinellas County Botanical Gardens opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. It spreads over 30 acres, with a winding path that leads garden to garden. Fountains gush like geysers, or trickle down stone layer to the basin below. Color bursts out everywhere. We met people from Texas enjoying their vacation, and saw others sitting on the scattered chairs just enjoying the beautiful sunny day. The Wedding Garden, a popular place for weddings with its open area and gazebo, contains four individual areas: Jazz Garden, Rose Garden, Topiary Garden and Cottage Garden. Demonstration gardens like the herb garden and the citrus garden make me wish for a green thumb.

Birds and reptiles enjoy the gardens too. A small alligator sunned himself and kept an eye on the baby Moorhens swimming with their mother. A Green Heron stood very still on a log, and a Limpkin appeared and disappeared in the grasses as he searched for food at the waters’ edge.

These beautiful gardens require a lot of attention and care, mainly from an army of volunteers who contribute their time, labor, and talent to keep it going. Admission to both the Botanical Gardens, and the Heritage Village (which I will talk about in the next post) are free, and well worth visiting. We visit several times a year, and find something new and unique every time.

Weeki Wachee Preserve

2011-05-02T08:06:00.000-04:00

On the second and fourth Saturday of each month, the gates of Weeki Wachee Preserve open. Rather than parking along the entrance, and walking through the gate to access the property, you can drive to the parking lot 1.3 miles up the entrance road. Normally we travel and hike during the week, but when visitors arrive we don’t want to waste a moment of time, and so visited Weeki Wachee Preserve on 23 April 2011, a fourth Saturday. Our visitors are avid birders, so this would be the first hike of many during the week in search of Florida birds and migrants.

As we exited the car, we noticed a Sandhill Crane walking around the parking lot, inspecting the tires on a truck parked nearby. He ignored us as he continued his inspection. Starting from the parking lot rather than the entrance meant some different hiking trails. We started out on the trail to the right of the parking area, and walked along birding and enjoying the sunny weather. We heard and saw more birds this time than any time before at this location. The Eastern Tohees sang out their “sweeeeet” as we started out. We often hear them at the preserve, and this time we saw them also. As we walked by a hill covered in flowers, we heard and saw several birds. The Tohee made his appearance here, as did several warblers including a Palm Warbler.

As we walked by one of the many lakes, we saw a bird fly off and then come back. It stopped long enough for us to be able to identify the Spotted Sandpiper with its bobbing motion, in full adult breeding plumage. The sunny, warm day made the water look inviting and many people took advantage of the day by hiking and fishing nearby.

As we rounded a curve, we watched a pair of Red Bellied Woodpeckers flying in and out of a hole in a snag, building their nest inside. After over three hours of hiking, and a long bird list, we headed back to the car, and home for lunch and a leisurely afternoon in the pool.

Spotted Sandpiper

Nest Building

Sandhill Crane inspecting us and the truck nearby

Eco Walk Trail Crystal River

2011-03-29T09:02:00.000-04:00

We arrived at 8:10 a.m. to warm, humid temperatures of about 71° and a cloudy, overcast sky. The winds blew 10 – 15 mph, not a very good start to photographing wildflowers.

Walking the 2.1 mile loop trail, we noticed evidence of some prescribed burn, perhaps six months or so ago. Wildflowers popped up all over and thistles bloomed everywhere. They apparently just started, as we saw no fading flowers yet and most of the plants had numerous heads ready to open. A Tiger Swallowtail, somewhat the worse for wear, lazily flew around a patch of the thistle, and then landed briefly fluttering his wings. Birds sang in the upper canopy, but with the exception of a few such as the Palm Warbler and Northern Parula, we saw very few.

As we approached the wooded area we started seeing brown butterflies staying low to the ground and landing only occasionally. As we continued walking, more and more of these Violas’s/Little Wood Satyrs flitted around, behind, and ahead of us. At one point I counted more than two dozen in the area we walked. This butterfly sports two prominent eyespots on each wing, outlined in yellow. I use both names because apparently both exist in Florida. Of the two references I normally use, one only lists Viola’s, and one only lists the Little. The Florida Museum of Natural History lists both as subspecies. The one flight season per year for the Wood Satyr starts in spring, and peaks late March to early April, which explains the abundance we saw. Adults generally feed on sap, rarely flower nectar as most butterflies, and the larva use various grasses as hosts.

At one point in the trail an Eastern Garter Snake lazed about trying to get some warmth from the sun, which had just broken through the clouds. We carefully stepped around it and continued on. I saw some blue, and hoped we saw a Bluestripe Garter, but comparing my photographs to the guidebook I couldn’t make that call.

By the time we completed the trail, the sun warmed up the air and it felt hot. Karl stopped several times to set up the tripod for the wildflowers, so hopefully he managed some good shots in spite of the stronger than expected wind.

Wood Satyr briefly at rest

Eastern Garter snake on the trail

Tiger Swallowtail enjoying the thistle

Ten Thousand Islands NWR

2011-03-23T07:44:00.000-04:00

Using Collier-Seminole State Park as our starting point, we traveled 2.8 miles west to the relatively new Marsh Trail at Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The trail opened in September 2009 with a parking lot for safe access, and a boardwalk providing easy access to the trail. The wide trail remains flat and level for its entire length, providing access for everyone. As the trail is one-way, hiking to the end and back makes for a nice walk of approximately 2.2 miles. At .25 mile from the trailhead, a two level observation tower rises above the surrounding landscape giving a wonderful view of the openness of the refuge.

Water meanders along both sides of the trail. The numerous mangrove islands of various sizes from tiny to large dot the scene. This maze of islands gives the refuge its name. We immediately began spotting birds. A White Eyed Vireo flitted among some bushes along the trail. Blue Winged Teal floated in the water and paddled among the mangrove islands. We saw egrets and herons on both sides of the trail, studying the water intently in hopes of catching their next meal. Glossy Ibis walked along thrusting their bills into the water that gave a perfect reflection of them as they walked. We did not see any of the other wildlife documented in this preserve such as Loggerhead and Ridley turtles, manatees, or even a raccoon or dolphin. We spoke to a couple who walked the trail at least three times a week. They told us they spotted a Bald Eagle several times, and numerous other bird species. In fact, walking this trail inspired them to learn more about the birds they saw.

Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge sprawls over 35,000 acres of wetlands and waterways. A map at the trailhead showed the Marsh Trail for hiking and a couple of other marked trails in other areas for canoeing and kayaking. The Marsh trail has joined our list of places to be sure to visit when we go to the Everglades. The list keeps getting longer, but that gives us a good excuse to visit more.

Collier-Seminole State Park

2011-03-15T14:29:00.000-04:00

Collier-Seminole State Park in Naples, FL lies near the Everglades, and partially in the one of the biggest mangrove swamps in the world. We visited March 4 – March 7, camping in the 108 site campground. Many state parks in Florida provide larger sites that also provide a natural privacy barrier between sites. The sites here don’t have any natural privacy barrier and seemed a little tight.

Due to high “tourist season”, I did not see an camp empty site. In spite of that, and the closeness of neighbors, our stay proved relaxing and interesting. We made this trip to attend eco tours with the Master Naturalist group to which we belong, so we left most mornings and returned toward evening. Weekend evenings include an ice cream social, and then a ranger-led talk. We hoped to attend this talk, but our tour of the day ended late and we arrived after it started, so didn’t attend.

Be sure to walk to the open field containing the Barron Collier memorial at night. With no light pollution, the sky overhead lights up with starts. I saw stars and constellations I haven’t seen since we gave up sailing years ago.

In the park grows one of the three original stands of Royal Palm trees in Florida. Canoeing is available, and two hiking trails cross the area, one a .9 mile mostly boardwalk trail and the other a 6.5 mile trail. We walked the .9 mile trail, unfortunately partially closed due to boardwalk replacement. Look for the Gumbo Limbo trees, with their distinctive reddish, peeling bark. Due to our other tour commitments, the 6.5 mile trail waits for another visit.

We plan to return to this park, hopefully outside of high season so we get to choose our site from a selection, rather than taking the only one available. The proximity to the Everglades makes it a perfect place to explore for itself, and as a base for exploring the rest of the Everglades.

Canoe launch and picnic area at park. The .9 mile hiking trails starts here also.

Royal Palm tree in clearing. This is also the place to stargaze on clear nights.

Bark of the Gumbo Limbo tree on the .9 mile hiking path.

Off on an Eco Tour/Photo Shoot

2011-03-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

We spent a long weekend on tours in the Everglades, and camping in Collier Seminole State Park, so no entry this week. Next week I'll write about the tours we took, places we hiked, and things we saw. In the meantime, enjoy this little guy.

We watched him fish for several minutes. He didn't mind, he concentrated on his fish breakfast.

Eaglets at Honeymoon Island State Park

2011-03-01T11:19:00.000-05:00

Again this year, the pair of Bald Eagles at Honeymoon Island State Park moved into their nest and started a family. We tried to walk to the nest two weeks ago, and found ourselves stopped by a flooded trail. Last Tuesday we went again, not taking the Canon 500mm lens and tripod this time as we had the last time. Naturally, the flooding dried up and we walked all the way to the fenced off area. Note to self: always carry any lens you might need!

Federal law requires a buffer zone around Bald Eagle nests on public land during the nesting season, which generally runs from October 1 to May 15. When we visited last week one of the adult eagles sat in a tree near the nest. A couple of photographers left the site as we approached, and commented that they saw the one adult, but no sign of the eaglets. As they walked away, I watched the nest through my binoculars and first one dark head with a large bill popped up, then another. We called to the departing couple to come back, and they watched with us for a few minutes. I looked as the eaglets ducked back into the nest, and came up again, this time one had something in its bill.

The adult never moved the entire time we watched. The youngsters ducked down again, and again came up with something to eat. We enjoyed the show for a while, then walked back and down to the beach. I tried to shoot with my zoom lens fully at 400mm, without much success. I hope you enjoy the photograph anyway.

Visit to Three Florida State Parks

2011-02-22T07:58:00.000-05:00

Winter slowly gave up its grip last week. Morning fog was one consequence of the cool nights and warmer days. We decided the time had come to explore more of the Florida state parks.

Tuesday we drove to Alafia River State Park. We arrived to much colder weather than we anticipated, and it remained damp and cool until the sun finally broke through the fog. We walked part of the hiking trail, and made a note to return when the spring wildflowers started to bloom. Alafia River State Park is a former phosphate mining site, and known for its challenging bike trails. We decided to visit Little Manatee River State Park on the same trip, since we came very close to it to return to the highway. We explored the campgrounds and hiking trails, and definitely want to return to both camp and hike.
Thursday we headed to a park we visited many years ago: Lake Louisa State Park. Lake Louisa State park is in Clermont, only 25 miles from Orlando. The string of 13 lakes of various sizes is surrounded by hills. The hills formed from old sand dunes created thousands of years ago, when the Florida shore of the Atlantic Ocean was further inland. Again, we traveled through heavy fog, and arrived in heavy fog.

Walking to the shore of Lake Louisa felt eerie, with fog shrouded the water and visibility reduced. The dampness clung to the face and hands, and caused a slight chill. Spanish moss covered cypress trees lining the shore. The closer trees took on colors in shades of white and gray, and then the trees themselves faded the further away they stood.
As the sun managed to make its way through the fog, the entire scene changed. The cool dampness gave way to much needed warmth and sunshine. We walked part of the trails, listening to birds singing away and enjoying the experience of walking on a new-to-us trail. We ate our picnic lunch, and then started back home. We plan to visit this park as much as we can, and hope to camp there in the near future. This beautiful park sits so close to Orlando, I encourage anyone visiting that area to try to see it and experience a different Florida setting.

Shore of Lake Louisa shrouded in fog

Circle B Bar Reserve: Perfect for Photographers and Naturalists

2011-02-15T16:17:00.000-05:00

We visited this site for the first time late last January. I started hearing about it a month or so before, and everyone highly recommended it for nature photographers and birders. Our first visit, described in an earlier entry on this blog, surpassed all expectations. We headed back again in April with some fellow birders in tow. Now, a little over a year after our first visit, we went there again.
To get to Circle B Bar, we take the interstate roads, US 75 to US 4. For us, this means rush hour traffic in the Tampa metropolitan area. Since Circle B Bar opens the gates at 5 a.m., we got around it this time by leaving early and arriving before sunrise. We made a pot of coffee, and sat in the RV until it brightened up a bit. In prior visits, we started the day alone though others came in shortly after. This time, several cars came in while we drank our coffee, a definite change.

Karl carried the tripod and Canon 500mm lens, intending to take some test shots. Walking in, we noticed hundreds of Black Bellied Whistling Ducks in the wetlands to the right. These readily recognizable ducks sport red bills and bright pink legs. We saw many Glossy Ibis and Limpkins, far more than on either of our previous visits.

I had some fun with light as the sun rose. A Common Yellowthroat warbler darted in and out of some vegetation, finally lighting on a branch. As he turned to face me, the sun hit the yellow throat perfectly. He watched me photograph him, and then dove back into the vegetation. Looking to the west, birds sitting in the trees looked like black and white dots as the rising sun turned all the colors slightly pinkish, then back to normal again.

In addition to identifying 43 species of birds, high for me but low for more experienced birders, we saw other wildlife as we walked the trails. I caught movement in a tree, and when I trained my binoculars on the branch discovered a raccoon sleeping in the crook of the trees nestled in Spanish Moss. As I watched, he slightly adjusted his position and curled up to return to sleep. As the sun warmed the Florida winter day, alligators and turtles climbed out of the water to gather the warmth. On the shore of Lake Hancock, we noticed a tree branch about two feet from shore, with a banded water snake resting in its branches.

By 10:00 a.m., the reserve was quite crowded. Most people carried cameras with a zoom lens, only a few just walked with binoculars. We realized that this place has indeed become known. In addition, a lady biking along one of the trails stopped to say hello, and mentioned that the local newspaper ran an article that morning on Circle B Bar. We watched a Pileated Woodpecker peck a hole in a snag and pointed it out to another couple. They mentioned that they were traveling through, and a friend recommended this site. This remains a favorite of ours for hiking and for photography. The birds and wildlife are everywhere, and the trails are wide and easy to navigate, making this an excellent place to practice your wildlife shots and increase your portfolio.

Common Yellowthroat in the rising sun.

Rising sun momentarily turns the trees and vegetation pink

Keeping warm sharing a log on a winter's day in Florida

A Day at the Beach

2011-02-01T17:39:00.000-05:00

Sometimes revisiting a place means getting a whole new outlook. We checked out Fred Howard Beach in Tarpon Springs several years ago and saw it as a small, but very nice, tourist beach. We took visitors there to walk along the sand and dip into the Gulf of Mexico. We knew people who birded the park, but didn’t pay much attention to the results. Recently we met a friend there to test out a new camera lens. What a different experience timing and a couple of years make. When not jammed full of bathers, the birds do frequent the area and the water scenes are beautiful.
We returned a week later and enjoyed a walk along the water, and the sight of several shorebirds. Cormorants and terns sat together on the water’s edge, while a flock of Willets with a few Greater Yellowlegs foraged further on. As if on command, all the birds began squawking and flying away, only to circle and land again. We watched this happen twice, and could not see any land based reason for the sudden flight. A Ring billed gull stood on the beach, removed from the other birds. He was alone and didn’t join in the seemly synchronized flights.
We always end our workshops by telling people that every day spent in nature taking photographs may not result in great photographs, but so what, enjoy the experience of being in nature! That was my take away from this outing.

Willets taking off, with a Yellowlegs to the left not as concerned.

Caspian and Royal Terns on the beach. Note the difference in the bills.

Foggy Mornings

2011-01-25T14:13:00.001-05:00

Cool, foggy mornings bring interesting photographic challenges and opportunities. We headed to Brooker Creek Preserve to enjoy the fog and do a little birding. Arriving before 8 a.m. we found ourselves alone in the Preserve. We started in the parking lot and already could hear a Pileated Woodpecker and saw an Eastern Phoebe. An Anhinga sat on a branch over the creek, seemingly asleep, and never moved as we photographed it and crossed the bridge.
The bird blind located off the Ed Center trail overlooks a marshy flat area owned by the local energy company as a right-of-way. The wooded areas give way to an open expanse. With all the recent rain the wet areas had water and birdlife. Unfortunately, we spooked some ducks as we walked up, and they never did return so we could identify them. Black vultures perched all over the tall electrical towers, occasionally flying off and then back. As we watched, a Red Tailed Hawk glided along the top of the vegetation, and landed on a metal post. He spent at least ten minutes sitting there surveying the scene before taking off again, perhaps for a better hunting area. As we left the blind we heard something moving in the dead leaves. Suddenly an armadillo walked past us, stopping to thrust its head into the vegetation looking for breakfast, and then continuing. It casually observed us, and continued on its way.
We continued on the trail, stopping on the boardwalk just before the education center buildings. A Great Egret flew in, walking along while keeping an eye on me and my camera. The contrast of the dark, swampy area with the brilliant white bird never fails to impress. While I did get a good photograph, I missed the best shot because I was unable to move to the best angle without causing the bird to turn around and walk away. That happens more times than I like to admit, but being in nature and seeing everything with my eyes and other senses in addition to with my camera makes it all worthwhile. That perfect shot may not have made it to my camera, but I can see it in my head.

Anhinga over Creek

Armadillo

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Egret in the Swamp

On the Beach in Winter

2011-01-18T08:06:00.000-05:00

As most of the United States shivers under layers of snow, sleet, and ice, people look to Florida, “The Sunshine State” with envy. Many people don’t realize that winter happens here too. This last year, 2010, started with record breaking cold spells in January and February, and ended with a record breaking cold December. For balance, I should mention that we had some record breaking heat too, in the middle of the year.

Each year, just as fall bird migration ends, we celebrate our winter residents. In addition to the Gray Catbird, Eastern Phoebe, and other feathered friends we greet the population of snowbirds. Snowbirds, for those of you not familiar with the term, refer to retirees from the northern climates that descend each year in their cars, RVs or by plane to enjoy our relatively milder climate. Traffic doubles, restaurants fill, hotel rooms and campsites become scarce, and on those nice sunny days, beaches overflow.
Most residents of the state take the onslaught in stride; after all, the money spent each year by these visitors keeps our state going and helps fill the coffers.

January started cold, but we enjoyed a few day of warm in-between cold spells. Regardless, the snowbirds and tourists are out in force. Tuesday we drove to Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, Florida. We planned a short hike, a photo shoot to get a new photograph for our business cards, some practice with the new Canon 500mm lens, and to visit the Nature Center. We arrived and stepped out of the van to a cold north wind and overcast skies. Optimistic, we started walking. The promised sun did not materialize, and actually never showed up until just before sunset, so the temperature never did improve. The poor light, cold wind, and lack of subject matter on the trail led to a quick shoot for the business card photograph and a quick walk back to the van.

Honeymoon Island boasts two cafés, so we headed to one of them and bought a coffee to go. Then, we headed to the beach to enjoy our coffee from the comfort of the van and watch the waves.
The north and northwest winds that caused a wind chill factor below freezing a few days last week also caused something else, a lot of mollusks to wash up on beaches. The birds searched the shore for these tender morsels, and the shell collectors were out in numbers hoping to collect one of the shells after the birds finished their feast. I watched as the beachcombers, dressed for the winter weather in heavy coats and knit hats, bent down, picked up shells, and surprising to me, tossed a large number into the water. I decided to walk a section of the beach and see what I could find. The Florida Fighting Conchs were all over. I picked up one, then another. Every one I picked up was alive. I finally decided that collecting was out, but the scene itself made a wonderful photograph. In spite of the weather and light, I did get some wonderful shots and enjoyed another one of nature’s spectacles.

Fighting Conch in the Surf

Cameras, Photographs and Moving Forward

2011-01-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

Last week marked the start of the long promised new blog as a companion to our photography workshop: “It’s not the camera, It’s the photographer!”© (http://itsthephotographer.blogspot.com/). We developed this workshop in response to reactions from people with cameras when they see us working with our professional gear. Inevitably, they adopt an apologetic tone about their own camera, and surmise that with better equipment they would take better photographs. We truly believe that the photographer behind the camera, be it the most basic point-and-click or the top of the line professional series, makes the photograph great. We don’t leave the house without a camera, even to run to the grocery store. The cameras we take for those journeys are either a Canon PowerShot G9 or a much older Canon PowerShot SD550. Both cameras, in our hands, have produced photographs which appeared in our exhibitions, have been printed and sold through retail outlets, and entered in contests.
As professionals, we also own the more specialized equipment. When Karl convinced me to turn in my film cameras (Nikon FE bodies with an assortment of manual lenses) and join the digital age, the Canon line edged out all others. As a result, I switched from my beloved Nikon FE to a Canon 20D with a Canon 100 – 400mm L IS lens. I later upgraded to a Canon 50D camera body, and added a Canon Xsi camera body with a Canon 70 – 300mm Diffractive Optics lens also imaged stabilized. This lens is smaller, and less noticeable in travel and city situations. We recently splurged and bought a Canon EF 500mm IS L Series. We began our professional photography concentrating on nature. The Canon 100 – 400 lens functions as my primary lens, as I tend to concentrate on wildlife (birds, mammals, butterflies, reptiles, basically anybody who looks “photogenic” as I hike). The new Canon EF 500mm lens will add to my range as I learn to use it.
Karl shoots full frame cameras: Canon 5D and Canon 5D Mark II. He tends toward landscape and macro photography, and uses a range of lenses including the Canon 20 – 35mm, Canon 50mm prime lens, and Canon Macro 100mm.
It took us many years to accumulate (and afford) the camera equipment we currently use. During that time, we continued to shoot photographs with the cameras and equipment we owned, and never felt the least bit less as professional photographers because of it. When we sell photographs, we are rarely if ever asked which camera took the photograph because the photographer took the photograph using his or her talent and using the camera as the tool.
If you have an interest in photography, please join us at the new website. Due to the difference in format from a workshop/hike to a website, it will contain the information from our workshop, but not mirror the workshop. As we continue, it will inevitably contain more information, and may provide the impetus to create further workshops based on the same premise: It’s the photographer’s knowledge and talent that counts.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker pausing to look around

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-04T11:23:00.000-05:00

The New Year in West Central Florida started mild and sunny, perfect weather for this time of year. After a record cold December, we welcomed the change. Long range forecasts say that another cooling trend will move in toward the end of the week, extending into next week.
This morning we hiked for a short time at WeekiWachee Preserve (2121 Osowaw Blvd, Spring Hill, FL). The temperature remained in the mid-50s under very cloudy skies. The wind came from the north, calm at first but picking up somewhat as we hiked. We hiked the short distance from the parking area, and turned left onto Dead End Creek trail. The record cold we suffered in December showed in the amount of brown vegetation. We heard and saw numerous birds in the scrubby area to the right. Several Yellow-rumped Warblers flew back and forth across the trail. While trying to follow them with the binoculars, I spotted a Tufted Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker in the same tree. A Red-Shouldered Hawk landing on top of a pine, then flew off. At least two Eastern Tohees called. We continued walking, taking the left trail at the fork in the road. Ahead two White Tailed deer watched us, ran a bit, and turned to watch us again. They seemed unafraid, but apparently grew tired of the game of keeping just ahead of us and leapt into the saw palmetto understory.
We met only one other person on the trail who told us that he saw two Meadow Larks up ahead, but they did not call. We did not see or hear them, but did see a Great Egret take off from one of the lakes. Several Palm Warblers flitted in the bushes and then flew off. We took the trail to circle back and saw a Bald Eagle overhead. As we reached the scrub portion, the Eastern Tohees continued their calling, and the Gray Catbirds apparently finally awoke, “meowing” and visible on top of the Saw Palmettos.
To all readers, a happy and prosperous new year.

Deer watching us

End of the Year 2010

2010-12-07T08:05:00.000-05:00

The cold north wind and low temperatures meant a cancellation of the camping trip we planned for this week. The temperatures and wind limit both the photography and exploring of the parks we planned to visit, so we decided to try again in a couple of weeks.
Photography, writing, and exhibitions were pushed to the background in 2010 due to many other commitments to family, friends and non-profit endeavors. We loved every minute of visiting, traveling, our house guests, and the all special events of this year, and look forward to revitalizing the photography and writing for 2011.
This blog, Field Notes will take on a new look and feel for 2011. After two years of research and discussion, we found a small, used van-style RV that met our needs (and dreams). We purchased it in late August, but due to all of the commitments mentioned above have only had it out camping one time. The ability to remain in the natural areas all day and night adds another dimension to our experience, and allows more of a total “picture” of the areas we visit. The small size means we can take it anywhere, so more travel is in our future.
We expanded our repertoire this year; Karl started doing more people and portrait photography, and I switched to a smaller (less noticeable on the street) lens for travel to get more interesting and candid travel shots.
We both plan new projects for 2011, together and individually. Field Notes will expand to include travel destinations, historical sites, and other areas as we continue to evolve as photographers and writers. Several members of our workshops requested an add-on program to our beginner workshop “It’s not the camera’ it’s the photographer!”©. As we take a break from the workshops over January and February, we will toss around ideas on what form this might take. If you have suggestions, please email us or leave them in the comments section.

I hope your holidays, from Thanksgiving right through welcoming the New Year, are happy and wonderful. See you in 2011!

Eastern Phoebe

2010-10-26T15:07:00.000-04:00

Fee-be Fee-be

The Eastern Phoebe not only sat in easy view, but called so distinctly I heard it positively in nature for the first time. Now I can pick it up when walking along if a Phoebe calls nearby. Another bird call to add to my not very impressive list of those I know for certain. Birding by ear is an acquired skill for most of us, and not necessarily an easily acquired skill for many. I listen to CDs and the internet, become convinced I know them anywhere, and then get in the field. A fellow birder once told me that learning just a few a year is a major accomplishment. Since I am a birder by avocation rather than vocation, learning bird calls becomes one of many things I want to do. Fortunately, I bird with several birders who really know their calls, so I can add to my knowledge not only through study but field practice.

I look forward to the return of the Phoebe. Coming back to Florida in the September and October time range, they stay until April when they move north again. Most birders talk about what they lack, namely an eye ring and wing bars. I find them distinctive on their own, and can pick them out even before hearing them. Like my other winter favorite, the Gray Catbird, I seem to see them whenever I walk through a wooded area or hike trails this time of year.

Eastern Phoebe at Chinsegut Nature Center

Eagles

2010-10-22T16:43:00.000-04:00

    I remember that particular science class. I was in 8th grade. Our teacher informed us during the course of teaching that day’s lesson that we would never see a Bald Eagle in the wild. In 1969, many believed that fact as the eagles were dying out and no one knew why. A few years later the U. S. government took proactive steps including the banning of DDT and lead shot for hunting waterfowl.
    Now we fast forward to the early 1990’s. We took a harbor tour while visiting Florida. A lone eagle circled overhead and everyone on the cruise including the tour guide stopped talking, and looked up, watching in silence. The eagles made a comeback, but seeing one still caused people to stop and stare.
    Wednesday October 20, 2010 I walked the path to Lake Wauberg at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. As I stood there, I heard an eagle call, then another answer. The eagles flew over the lake, and another joined them. As I watched, a total of six adult Bald Eagles swooped and called over the lake, before breaking off in pairs and flying in separate directions. I still watch them in wonder even though the Interior Department removed them from the list of endangered species in 1997. They symbolize what we accomplished as a country when we realized the problem and set out to correct it.
    We hiked Bolen’s Bluff trail, a 2.5 mile hike. The day started cool but warmed quickly. White tailed deer grazed along the trail, watching us approach and wandering off the trail only slightly as we passed. As we came to the prairie itself, a group of warblers stayed just ahead of us on both sides of the trail, and for the most part out of camera range, feasting on the insects near the edges. Palm Warblers dominated, but we also saw an occasional Yellow Warbler. Butterflies sunned themselves on the flowers bordering the trail, and dragonflies darted in and out of the vegetation. This trip we did not see the wild horses or the bison, though we did sidestep much evidence of the horses along the trail. An iron ranger at the entrance to the Bolen’s Bluff trail parking lot charges a $2.00 fee now. I don’t know how recently it was installed, but it was new to us. We have a state park pass which we displayed on the driver’s side dashboard as per instructions.
    After our hike, we drove to the park entrance. We asked for and received a map of the campground. Still hoping for a glimpse of the horses or bison, we went to the Visitor’s Center to look over the prairie from the back deck. No luck there either. We drove back toward the entrance, turning at the road leading to the campground and Lake Wauberg. After inspecting the campground we walked the path leading to the lake, where we saw the eagles.

Watching from just off the hiking trail

Two of the six eagles over the lake

Autumn at Last

2010-10-19T14:30:00.000-04:00

    The heat and humidity of summer thankfully gave way to a beautiful autumn this year. Last year October rivaled August for heat and humidity, breaking records all month, so a return to normal feels wonderful. When we first moved to central Florida, an acquaintance told us that Floridians live for October and November. The temperatures remain warm, with 60s F at night and low to mid 80s during the day. Abundant sunshine and lower humidity complete the perfect weather picture. The snowbirds and tourists usually start arriving later in the year, generally after either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Our roads remain only somewhat crowded with the usual residents and occasional visitors, rather than looking like rush hour most of the daylight hours as happens once the part-time residents and tourists arrive to escape the cold of their home states.
    We took advantage of this weather by camping last week at Hillsborough River State Park. We hiked, picnicked and of course photographed in many of the Florida State Parks, but the recent purchase of a small, new-to-us RV adds a new dimension to our visits and our photography. Our shakedown trip went well. I hesitate to say perfect, because we did find some issues to resolve as one would expect in a used vehicle, but thankfully nothing major.
    This weekend we hold the first “It’s not the camera, it’s the Photographer!” workshop of the season, at Chinsegut Nature Center. We will also be holding them at Brooker Creek Education Center again this year. I hoped to have an accompanying blog with additional tips started and well along by now, but technology failed me. My laptop crashed a few months ago, and the back-up also failed, resulting in the loss of all of the content for the new blog, plus a considerable amount of content for this blog. We spent our summer visiting family and friends, including a long awaited trip to Ireland, so now that our schedule has settled somewhat I can work on recreating the content I lost.
    Fall wildflowers abound here in Florida, perhaps more so than even spring. My favorite blooms in October and into November, the Pine Lily or Catesby’s Lily (Lilium catesbaei). This once abundant flower is now a threatened species throughout its southeastern U.S. range. It requires regular fire to provide the openness and nutrients it needs to thrive. In areas where fire is now prescribed, the flowers are re-appearing. Brooker Creek Preserve is one of those locations, and I photographed this beautiful specimen on a recent hike.

Where have we been?

2010-10-02T16:20:00.000-04:00

Our hot summers here in Florida usually mean a slowdown in the hiking and nature photography. This year, in addition to the lesser activity imposed by weather, we also traveled quite a bit more and more visitors arrived at our door. Hence, the long break in blogging.

We jetted our way to ten days in Ireland the middle of September. The back sections in photography magazines showing tours feature Ireland prominently as a destination for photographers. While we did some photography, the primary purpose of this trip was to reconnect with friends we made when we lived in Ireland for three years in the late 1980s. The trip exceeded all expectations. We reconnected with many friends, and it while we are all 20 years older, the friendships still held.

The travel isn’t over yet. We leave town again for a couple of weeks for a family wedding. Once we return, Field Notes will be resurrected and we will be back to hiking and photography. We are still sorting through all the travel photography from Ireland, and I hope to have some posted in the next week or so.

Homosassa State Park

2010-08-12T13:21:00.000-04:00

We boarded the boat and took the only three seats left. The heat didn’t stop us from visiting the park last Tuesday (August 3), nor did it stop many others. The captain began his talk as the boat eased out of the narrow slip and started down Pepper Creek. Turtles lined up on the logs along the shore, some slipping into the water as we passed. The captain pointed out features of the creek, told us about the park, and showed us fish nests. In the shallow parts of the creek a dinner plate sized clearing often had a lone fish swimming back and forth. This fish, the male, guards the nest. I asked what type of fish they might be and the captain told me they are likely Bluegill, Bass, or Catfish.

We disembarked at the end of the ride, and walked through the center into Homosassa State Park. We arrived just in time for the manatee talk, so we headed in that direction first. The park keeps only female manatees, and breeding programs are not allowed. The ranger explained that manatee babies nurse for almost a year and stay with their mother for about two years. Like human babies, their mother teaches them how to how to find food and resting places and everything else it takes to survive in their world. Because of this, a baby manatee reared by captive parents could never be released as they don’t learn how to eat and cope in the wild.

After the talk we walked the well marked path around the park. Homosassa State Park offers an excellent opportunity for photographers to practice wildlife shots. While the Florida panther chose not to grace us with his presence, the Florida black bears swam in the water and lumbered to shore, giving us the best look at them I have ever seen at the park, or actually ever.

A volunteer shared with us that several people who came to Florida to bird stopped in one day. They appreciated that the birds they had glimpsed in the wild sat or flew around the park, giving them a better look than they could get while hiking. Of course, the majority of bird residents have injuries that mean they cannot be released, so they live out their lives in safety here at the state park, giving us the opportunity to observe and appreciate them.

We stopped at the underwater observatory at the main spring before departing. The cool air welcomed us below, and for perhaps the first time ever, we found ourselves alone and able to leisurely walk around watching the fish swim around.

The boat ride back starts out peaceful, and becomes noisier as we get closer to the entrance at US 19 and hear the roar of traffic and other sounds of predominately human activity. Another large group waited for us to disembark so they could start their journey down Pepper Creek.

Florida Black Bear cooling off in the water

Turtles sunning themselves on a log in Pepper Creek

In the underwater observatory

Florida Aquarium

2010-08-10T13:37:00.000-04:00

Record and near record temperatures and heat indices drove us indoors for much of the last two weeks. Visitors in town let us play tourist here in the Tampa Bay area, and we explored many of the local attractions, including the Florida Aquarium.

Located at Channelside in Tampa, the aquarium features an easy to navigate path through exhibits showing Florida’s wetlands and on to beaches, bays, and coral reefs. In spite of the crowds, I practiced with what I now call my “tourist” lens, the Canon 70-300. It is small enough not to attract a lot of attention, but really does the job. The lens is less “automatic” than the other Canon lens. You need to pay attention to your light, shoot in AV mode (I am set at F8) and work with the ISO to get the tack sharp photographs desired.

The lighting in the jelly fish tanks and the smokey/misty screens that you walked through provided some very interesting shots, and of course, some that didn’t work out at all. Remember to turn off your flash if it is automatic. I shot with natural light at all times to get the effects I wanted. The flash works for portraits, but can wash out other shots, or reflect back in the aquarium glass.

Jelly fish in lighted tank

Walking through the "mist" screen

Watching us watching him

The Red Barn

2010-07-27T13:54:00.000-04:00

“I’m looking for the perfect red barn”

“OK, but it’s a little hard at 55 miles an hour”
We spent the night of June 24, 2010 in the far western area of New York State in order to do a leisurely drive through the countryside. That leisurely pace only occurs when approaching and going through the many small towns that dot the area. What we consider quaint two lane roads provide the only main thoroughfares for the residents, and they drive quite fast. We stayed out of the way as much as possible; after all, the locals need to get to work and markets.
We both spotted the barn at the same time. Near the road, it appeared newly painted red with white trim. A matching red livestock trailer sat empty in front of it. The blue sky and small patch of green grass added up to a delightful color combination. We carefully pulled off the road, and took out our cameras.
Pleased with our success, we continued our journey. The continental breakfast at the hotel did not appeal to us, so we did not eat breakfast. We both wanted to find a local restaurant or diner for lunch. Unfortunately, it seemed that each small town we passed through lacked both. We often saw restaurant buildings, definitely out of business, but no thriving small town cafes or diners. With chain restaurants a reasonable drive away, I guess most could not, or chose not to, continue. We stopped in one small town to ask directions back to the main route, and browsed through the local store. We also looked through the small flea market set up in front of the stores, but did not make any purchases.
Our family did not expect us until later in the afternoon, but with our lack of success in finding lunch we decided to push on and have lunch with them. We ended up with a delightful lunch with family at a local restaurant on the shores of Lake Erie. The lake looked beautiful with the sun turning it a light shade of grayish blue, and the strong wind whipping up foamy whitecaps.

The Perfect Red Barn

Our Stop in West Virginia

2010-07-20T14:31:00.000-04:00

We made our plans to visit family in Western New York from late June into July for two reasons: cooler weather there than in Florida and everyone’s schedule. We did OK with the schedules, but the entire eastern part of the U.S. had near record breaking heat for both the drive there and the drive back, so we didn’t escape the heat.
We left our home in Florida at 3:30 a.m. on June 23 with the intention of driving past Charlotte on the first day. We actually made it to West Virginia. Tired after 14 ½ hours in the car, we found a hotel in Blakely, West Virginia at a reasonable price. It included free wi-fi and continental breakfast, and had a mini-fridge to hold the contents of our cooler.
The next morning we rose early, and took our map with us to the complimentary continental breakfast. Sipping our coffee, we studied the map and the information I downloaded from the internet. Hawk’s Nest State Park looked interesting, and we decided to make that our stop for the day before continuing the drive to Western New York.
Since we did not know the area, Karl inquired at the front desk about the driving time to the park. The desk manager had no idea, but another employee heard the request and came into the breakfast area to talk to us. She gave us instructions to Hawk’s Nest, then told us about her favorite park, Babcock State Park. About the same distance as Hawk’s Nest, it has a working gristmill and many hiking trails. The forecasted temperature in the mid-90s made the hiking trails less attractive, but we liked the idea of the gristmill. We thanked her for the local knowledge, and set out.
West Virginia state parks open at 6 a.m., close at 10 p.m. and do not charge an entrance fee. We took the exit off U.S. 19 and followed the signs, driving on progressively narrower roads lined with forest until we found the entrance. The entrance road, even narrower, snaked along with a quite a drop off on both sides. We arrived at the parking lot next to the gristmill and ranger station about 7:30 a.m., just in time for the best light.
The Glade Creek Gristmill is fully operational. Built of the parts of three original gristmills, it was completed in 1976 and provides freshly ground cornmeal sold in the gift shop. Unfortunately, the gift shop did not open until 10 a.m. I would have liked to buy some. Karl set up to take landscape shots of the gristmill. I concentrated on the waters tumbling over the rocks in Glade Creek, and some closer shots of the gristmill. We stayed about an hour, and then visited the ranger station to look at some photographs they displayed of the creek other times of the year, and speak to the person in the office.
We headed back to U.S. 19 North. Hawk’s Nest State Park did not appear to be too far away, so we decided to check out that park for another trip. We arrived about 9 a.m., and the heat and humidity were already rising. We explored the lodge, and took information on the hiking trails and lodge rates. The view from the lodge is breathtaking, but for photography needed afternoon light not morning light. We saved it for another trip, hopefully in October. By 10 a.m. we were heading north on U.S. 19. Our brief stop at the two parks made us want to come back for a much longer visit.

The Grist Mill

Water tumbling over rocks in Glade Creek

Back from our annual family visit

2010-07-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

We took our annual trip to visit family in Upstate New York late June to early July. We arrived back last week, driving the 1200 miles in 1 ½ days. With record breaking heat in every state we crossed, the desire to stop and explore vanished. Now that I feel somewhat recovered from the long visit and days of driving, the blog entries will resume. We visited some interesting places and we both practiced travel photography with the equipment we plan to take to Ireland for our visit in September, troubleshooting well ahead of time. Next week regular postings will resume. Thank you for your patience.

The Rookery 2010

2010-06-11T12:43:00.000-04:00

The adult Wood Stork left her nest at the top of the tree, and slowly crept down to her right. Below her nest and to the left is another nest with young Anhingas and no adult in sight. The young Anhingas watched the Wood Stork approach, and started to move toward her. As the Wood Stork reached a point just above the Anhinga nest, the young Anhingas started to lash out at the Wood Stork. The Wood Stork lashed back. The Anhingas backed off a bit, keeping a close watch the entire time. The Wood Stork, after sifting through the edge of the nest, stole a bit of nesting material and took it back to her own nest, taking her time to place it properly. The young Angingas watched threateningly, but had no recourse except to let the larger bird take the material.
Again this year, a large number of Wood Storks made their nests in a small retention pond behind a busy shopping center. The fenced pond provides a safe place to raise young, but the above exchange I witnessed earlier this week shows that neighbors can be a challenge. This year I noted more Anhinga nests than last year, though my count is informal as I cannot (and would not) get close enough to do an accurate count. Some Great White Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Snowy Egrets also chose this place to nest again this year, but Wood Storks definitely make up the majority of nesting birds here.
At about 55 days old, the young of the Wood Stork reach fledgling stage. Fledging occurs in July and August in Central Florida. The young already look quite large, and I suspect fledging time is close. Today a Wood Stork flew into her nest with nesting material. Her young apparently thought she had food, and mobbed her as she landed. What appears to be dust on the lens in the photograph below is actually feathers, kicked up as the young tried to get at the “food”.
I love watching the birds in this rookery. I try to make time each week to visit and watch the activity, even for just a few minutes. Some of the Great Egret chicks appear quite young yet, so hopefully I can extend my viewing time for at least a few more weeks.

Wood Stork lashing back at young Anhingas as they try to protect their nest.

Notice the young in the lower right hand corner.

The white dots are feather which the young stirred up when Mom returned to the nest.

The open mouth suggests they hoped she carried food rather than nesting material.

Snakes!

2010-05-27T13:24:00.000-04:00

Near the end of the boardwalk that winds through the cypress swamp we ended our hike and thanked all the participants. As we gazed over the water and trees, a brown snake swam into view. Everyone reached for their camera.
“It looks like a Cottonmouth.”
“No, that’s a Banded Water Snake.”
“Yes, definitely a Banded Water Snake.”
I didn’t argue, but it looked like a Cottonmouth to me. Later, I put the photographs I took on my computer and checked. Sure enough, the triangle shaped head and definite head markings stood out. In fairness to my colleagues, I used a zoom lens on my camera and so likely did get a better initial look.
The Florida Banded Water Snake and the Cottonmouth (I’ll use the common name Cottonmouth rather than Water Moccasin) look similar. A lot of Florida Banded Water Snakes meet untimely ends because of that similarity. People kill them thinking they are the venomous Cottonmouth. The name Cottonmouth comes from the white interior of its mouth, which you see when it opens its mouth wide. This usually means it is quite agitated.
Field identification is difficult. Personally, I don’t care to get close enough to check the eye pupil to see if it is vertical (Cottonmouth) or horizontal (Water Snake) and would not recommend anyone else do so. Both snakes are heavy bodied and generally have brown bands. I find the Cottonmouth head more triangular in shape, with distinctive brown cheek stripes. The Water Snake has a smaller, rounder head.
Behavior sometimes offers a clue. The Water Snake generally tries to get out of your way. The Cottonmouth moves slowly away, or even stands its ground. While swimming, a Cottonmouth keeps its head up and body gliding on top of the water. Other water snakes swim with their body just under the surface.
The Cottonmouth is a venomous snake. I’d like to take a moment to comment on the difference between poisonous and venomous. A famous field guide I own uses these terms interchangeably and therefore incorrectly, when talking about the snakes. Venom is stored inside and injected by a bit or sting. The animal uses it to capture food or for defense. Poisonous means that poison seeps through the skin, and the animal uses it as a defense.
The very next week I saw a snake slowly making its way in some undergrowth near a perched wetland. I identified it as a Florida Banded Water Snake, and several others confirmed. It helped that the snake lay there while we pulled out our field guides and compared photographs. I took a couple of photographs of that snake also. Check the pictures below. Would you be able to tell the difference in a field situation?

Cottonmouth

Banded Water Snake

Chinsegut Nature Center

2010-05-24T09:18:00.000-04:00

The Chinsegut Nature Center is located about 7 miles north of Brooksville, FL. Chinsegut is the Intuit word for "spirit of lost things" or "The place where things of true value that have been lost may be found again." The original owner named it, and donated it to the government for use as a wildlife preserve.
Over the past year we attended several events and hikes here, even one of the field trips for my Uplands Master Naturalist class. Most recently, we attended a Butterfly Walk, but we had not really hiked any of the trails. During the butterfly hike Karl admired the number of wildflowers, so we decided to return to photograph them.
We went on Tuesday May 18, and since the nature center entrance is usually closed all but Friday and Saturday, we parked at the entrance on Snow Memorial Highway. From there, we hiked the access trail to the Nature Center Loop. The wildlife blind held a surprise, a Carolina Wren nest sitting on the ledge. We did not notice the nest at first, but then Mom flew away as we looked around the blind. I snapped a quick shot of one of the babies with beak in the air before we left to allow Mom to return.
Karl found some wildflowers and set up to do some macro work as I continued to walk around. A White-eyed vireo watched me from a nearby bush. I saw more butterflies than we had on the butterfly hike, including a Spicebush Swallowtail that paused just long enough to allow me a shot. The weather turned hot early this year, with temperatures already hitting 90°F, so after about 3.5 miles of hiking we headed back to the car. We plan to return to hike the Big Pine trail, and are signing up for two events there during June.
On October 23, 2010 Karl and I will be conducting our free photography program for beginners and especially those with point-and-click cameras called “It’s not the camera, it’s the photographer!” at Chinsegut Nature Center. Make a note if you plan to be in the area.

Carolina Wren Baby

White-eyed Vireo very curious about my camera

Spicebush Swallowtail

The First Week of May

2010-05-12T13:51:00.000-04:00

Birding claimed most of our time last week. We visited Brooker Creek Preserve three times the week of May 2; for the regular count, to photograph, and the third time on Saturday May 8 for the National Migratory Bird Count.
Our standard bi-weekly count for the citizen science project at Brooker Creek took place on Monday May 3. The wet conditions experienced recently because of the rainier than normal winter persisted. We spotted a female Kingfisher, unusual for this particular route, near an area that held a lot more water than normal. A Swallowtail Kite soared overhead and out of sight, but long enough to be counted.
Once again, we saw a lot of nature in addition to birds. At one of our stops, a Florida Softshell Turtle lay in the sand just off of our route. We approached cautiously, and saw that the turtle had been digging in the sand. Since it is nesting season for this species, and they nest by digging cavities in sand or earth banks, we guessed this may be a female preparing to lay eggs and gave her a wide berth. She watched us as we walked around but made no move to leave.
Dragonflies flew everywhere. I identified some, but many I did not know.
We returned to the Preserve on Thursday to walk around and take photographs. On the way in, I saw a bobcat. Naturally the Canon 100-400mm lens was in the trunk. I didn’t get a very good shot with the Canon 75-300mm, but it is good enough to show what we saw. Karl found some wonderful images of fungi on a log, and a couple of flowers. I spent a good amount of time watching a Northern Parula and trying to get a clear shot. I love when the birds decide to watch me back.
The National Migratory Bird count started at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Karl and I were assigned along with two others to a regular route that we count during the bi-weekly count. This particular isn’t always our most productive, but the two birders who joined us were both excellent birders by ear, so we saw and heard 34 species, a bit above average. A coyote on the trail ahead provided our highlight for the day.
In one week I saw both a bobcat and a coyote at Brooker Creek, the first time I had seen either one of them though I know both are plentiful in this almost 10,000 acre preserve.

Florida Softshell Turtle at Brooker Creek Preserve

Northern Parula watching me watch him.

Not a very good photograph, but here is the bobcat.

Birding in Our Area

2010-04-27T17:13:00.000-04:00

Several attendees at our last photography workshop asked where we generally hike and bird locally in our area of Florida. We live north of Tampa-Clearwater, so the places listed below are in that general area. Because we are photographers and naturalists, we tend to go further afield often. Regular readers of this blog see that in the bi-weekly posts. Search on any of these location names to find directions from your area. I limited this list, but will add in the future:
Brooker Creek Preserve
Honeymoon Island State Park (entrance fee)
John Chestnut Sr. Park
A.L. Anderson Park
Robert K. Rees Memorial Park (Green Key Park) (small, but walk the road also)
Hammock Park
We often visit these parks for photography, birding, and just getting out in nature. Also, check out the Florida Great Birding Trail for more ideas. (http://myfwc.com/gfbt/)

Not many birds, but lots of nature

2010-04-22T17:01:00.001-04:00

We did our regular bi-weekly bird count on Monday April 13 after a day of steady rain on Sunday. The route tends to be wet anyway, and we knew the almost two inches of rain that fell meant wading up to our knees in certain sections. We woke up Monday to gray skies, but no further rain.
The 4x4 truck approached the channel we needed to cross to get to our route. It looked wider and deeper than usual, so we backed up and took another way. We missed one stop on the route that way, but as the alternative could mean getting stuck in the channel with water up to the floorboards, we didn’t complain.
As soon as the truck stopped and parked, I gathered my binoculars and camera and stepped out. I didn’t hear any birds, so I walked a few feet and scanned the surrounding trees and wetlands to check for any birds that might be wading or perching.
I stood on the road just above a drainpipe. The drainpipes help mimic the natural movement of water over this area before trails and roads built up sections stopping the flow. I glanced down into the marsh just a few inches below my feet, and saw a pair of eyes just below the water looking at me. The tannin of the water allowed only the eyes to show. The eyes watched for a few seconds, but it seemed longer. Then they quietly, without any ripple, slowly sunk further under the water and out of sight. I shook off the eerie feeling that came over me as the alligator watched me from below the water, so close to my feet.
“There’s an alligator in there” I finally managed to say.
Alligators are at home in this area, and certainly not unusual, but I don’t recall ever seeing one while birding before. Water pooled and ran all along the trails as we anticipated. It came to just below my knees in places, and I walked through it more cautiously after my experience. Alligators do not normally attack people. They prefer to get out of the way. I probably sloshed in the water a bit more than usual, to give any large reptiles plenty of time to hear me and leave.
Due to the gray skies, lingering dampness, and total lack of sun we did not count as many bird species as usual. We saw a lot of butterflies fluttering on the purple thistle flowers, in full bloom everywhere, and any number of species of dragonflies.
We walked back toward the truck, and in the distance saw a bobcat saunter across the trail. I don’t know if he saw us. If he did, I don’t think he cared. Bobcats are frequent in the Preserve, but seeing one is a rare treat. I have only seen them at a distance, not nearly close enough for a photograph even if I did have my 400mm lens.
As we approached the truck one of my colleagues sighted the alligator sunning himself. The alligator immediately plopped back into the marsh, but not before my colleague managed a good look.
“Probably a 5 footer at least.” He said.
Now I at least had a sighting and size to match the eyes.

Purple Thistle Flower

Yellow flowers lined the flooded trails

Weeki Wachee Preserve

2010-04-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

After our first few hikes here, we wrote it off for birding. We saw and heard very few birds, though we did love it for hiking and just getting outdoors. With that thought in our minds, it became the last stop in western Hernando County on a birding trip with our houseguests. We made a brief stop with them late morning on Thursday April 8. After a short walk we heard or saw many species of birds, including a Pileated Woodpecker peering at us from a hole in a snag and an Eastern Towhee cheekily sitting on a branch at eye level calling and watching us. Obviously we misjudged the place. We returned last week, and our last two experiences changed our minds completely. Who knows why our first three visits here yielded only lovely hikes, maybe due to the weather or time of year.
We decided last Tuesday, April 13, to return and check on the Pileated Woodpecker. We did a lot of observing the week before, but no photography. We arrived at 7:45 a.m. to a pleasant 61°F temperature. We walked in the gate and to the snag where we observed the woodpecker the week before. He flew overhead as if on cue, and then disappeared into the trees. We stood around for a while, but he did not return. We did, however, see and hear a Summer Tanager singing away at the top of a large pine. The Eastern Towhees called constantly. We estimated that during the morning we heard at least 30 Towhees, probably more.
We continued up the main paved road, and turned right on to Sand Pit Road. This trail goes uphill and through a scrub area, then around with a wonderful view of the lakes. As we neared the lakes, we heard a Sandhill Crane cry out constantly. We searched the area with our binoculars, and finally found him walking and squawking on the other side of one of the lakes, alone. We watched for about 5 minutes as he cried out without stopping, hoping nothing happened to his mate. Suddenly we heard another cry from behind us. Then both started squawking and calling, and the bird we had been observing took off and flew toward us, still calling. We realized that the second cry was moving, and finally saw the second bird flying toward the first. They circled each other, still loudly calling and then landed together not too far ahead of us. They continued to look at one another and chatter for a few minutes, and then quieted down. Slowly they walked away together, stopping to occasionally look around or peck at the ground looking for food.
While we did see other birds on the rest of our hike, that episode really made our day. It also drove home the lesson that two or three visits to a natural place may not tell the story. Mother Nature isn’t Disney World.

The second Sandhill Crane, flying toward the first calling all the way.

Quietly walking away together

Circle B Bar Reserve

2010-04-14T07:59:00.004-04:00

It was still very dark when we drove into the Reserve. Suddenly Karl stopped the car, and pointed east. We saw what appeared to be an elliptical flame in the sky with a long, bright contrail. Karl realized immediately it was the launch of the shuttle Discovery. With no light pollution we very clearly saw the space shuttle on its initial takeoff path. We watched in awe as it climbed with the trail of smoke it left along the way lit against the dark sky. We parked the car in the lot, and continued to watch for about 20 minutes. As the light came up and the sun rose, it colored the contrail smoke rosy red. We finally tore ourselves away from the sight and set out on our hike.
Because of the traffic we encountered our last visit to Circle B Bar Reserve, we left at 5 a.m. on April 5, 2010 in hopes of a less stressful drive. We encountered some traffic, but not much, so the journey took us just under 1 ½ hours. Alone in the Reserve, we began our walk.
Our hike started down Heron Hideout Trail. A family of Sandhill Cranes, with one chick, could be seen in the distance. A Bald Eagle sat in a snag as we walked along the Marsh trail. The birds were not as numerous as when we visited in January, but the number of species did not disappoint us. Even with very few warblers, we totaled 46 species by the end of the day.
The Tree Swallows flew around us as they had on our prior visit. This time they actually perched for a short time and I shot some photographs. The spring breeding season colors looked wonderful on the Glossy Ibis, and the lower angle sunlight made for a wonderful sheen. Black-necked stilts fished in the marsh, a first time bird for me. Black Vultures flew and landed in all directions as we started along Alligator Alley. As we walked, at least thirty vultures flew and landed on the trail, in branches above our heads, and in various trees and snags. They continued to stay just with or ahead of us for most of the trail. Their size and close proximity made that part of the hike a little unnerving.
We took a break after over 5 hours of hiking. Heading back to the car, we noticed the Sandhill Crane family on Heron Hideout Trail. We proceeded carefully, and the adult birds ignored us. The chick watched us a bit as he followed his parents and stopped to feed.
We enjoyed a leisurely lunch in one of the picnic pavilions, and watched as a Sandhill Crane family not only walked among the picnickers, but actually entered one of the pavilions and waited for a handout. Luckily, the people followed the rules about not feeding the wildlife.
We had walked all the trails, and the heat of the day made it less likely we would see any new birds. We packed up and started the drive home. Once again, this place did not disappoint.

Smoke from launch of Space Shuttle Discovery at Sunrise

Sandhill Crane chick watching us as the parents ignore us

Birds!

2010-04-12T07:35:00.000-04:00

“It’s just a Hooded Warbler.” I said, amazed at the words coming out of my mouth.
Who would think of a Hooded Warbler as a common bird? But this year, due to a cold front that came through, Hooded Warblers at Fort DeSoto numbered around a hundred for a while, according to some observers.
We spent April 3, 2010 birding and photographing at Ft. DeSoto Park. Our houseguests for the Easter holiday are avid birders, and with all the reports of warblers, especially Hooded Warblers, we decided to brave the inevitable crowds that a sunny, beautiful Saturday before Easter brings out.
We stopped at East Beach first. The listserv said that many Hooded Warblers had been seen in that area. We barely stepped from the car when we had our first sighting. We always visit East Beach when we go to Fort DeSoto, but never had we seen so many birds and such variety. Hooded Warblers called and flew everywhere. Several Black and White Warblers flew around us, and at least one Northern Parula flitted in the trees.
After exhausting the sightings at East Beach, we proceeded to North Beach to check on shore birds. Willets, Royal Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, and of course the always present Laughing Gulls sat along the shoreline or flew overhead. The beach became crowded early with sunbathers soaking up the warm Florida sun after our record breaking cold winter.
Normally we eat lunch around the North Beach or East Beach area, but with both already crowded and more cars streaming in, we chose instead to head to the Arrowhead Picnic area. We walked the nature trail and spotted a Prairie Warbler, along with the now ever present Hooded Warblers. As the heat of the day came up, things began to quiet down. We set up our picnic at a table under a tree, and as we ate no less than two Hooded Warblers flew back and forth, posing in the tree above us, and eating their own lunch of winged insects and grubs.
I did not keep a species count for the day, but it totaled close to 30. We headed home mid-afternoon, watching the long lines of cars at the toll booths just heading into the park for the day.

Hooded Warbler at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County, Florida

March 2010

2010-04-02T07:27:00.000-04:00

March continued with below normal temperatures and above normal rain. Our field activity, normally quite high this time of year, remained minimal.
The thermometer reached 60 plus degrees on Monday, March 15, 2010, but a north wind at nearly 20 mph made the air feel cold. We got up early and headed to Myakka River State Park with the intention of hiking along the power lines. As we entered the park, we saw standing water everywhere. The ranger at the entrance said that we should be OK hiking, so we kept going. We started on the trail with the sun just coming through the trees. As we walked I saw about 5 deer standing off to the side. They watched us carefully. The sun hit them just right making a beautiful scene, and I hoped a beautiful photograph. Unfortunately, something occurred about which we always warn the attendees at our workshop. My flash card failed, and I missed the shot. We stopped and changed out cards. I quickly tried to get another shot, but the moment had passed. We didn’t get one half mile before coming across an area of the trail flooded to a point that we could not get around it. Wearing hiking boots and not keen on spending the day walking with wet feet, we turned around.
We drove around the park for a while, visited the Birdwalk, and then decided to head to Oscar Scherer State Park. We hiked two miles along the Green Trail. The third mile part was closed for park maintenance. Most of the area along the two mile loop had been burned in a prescribed burn October 2009. The vegetation grew back quickly, and some flowers peeked through. A Florida Scrub Jay sat above us in a tree, watching as we walked by. We enjoyed a nice picnic at the South Creek Picnic Area, and then walked the South Creek Nature Trail. An armadillo crunched through the brown vegetation on the side of the trail rooting around for food, totally ignoring us.
Tuesday, March 30 we headed to Upper Tampa Bay Park. Driving to the Eagle nature trail, we saw standing water all along the road and wondered about the trail condition. We walked the Eagle trail with no problem. We then headed to the Nature trail. We walked quite a way, seeing a recently burned area and some Carolina Saddlebags dragonflies before reaching a section on the trail with standing water. We turned around and went to the Bobcat trail. The fishing pier, part of the trail, is closed. According to news reports, the county does not have the funds to repair it. Again, we walked a ways before turning around due to trail flooding.
Though the long range forecast calls for continued below average temperatures and above average rain for April, the first two days have been dry and warm. We hope for the best.

Burn area at Upper Tampa Bay Park

Eco-Walk at Crystal River Preserve

2010-02-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

Another break in the cold that controls Central Florida this year prompted us to visit Eco-Walk at Crystal River Preserve State Park on Tuesday. I saw an Eastern Towhee before hearing it, a somewhat unusual occurrence. As we walked, we heard numerous Towhees, the “sweeeet” call came from all sides. We started walking the 2.2 mile trail about 8:15 a.m. in a 61 degree temperature, but with no wind and overcast skies we were quite comfortable. We encountered standing water in the trail in many places, but walked around it, or if shallow enough, through it. We saw a number of birds, including more Yellow-Rumped warblers than we could count. About ½ mile from the trailhead, the standing water became more frequent and deeper, so we turned around. Karl stopped to photograph some lichen, and I walked ahead. I kept hearing a call I did not know, so I stopped to look around. I finally saw a Common Yellowthroat flying back and forth over the trail. I recorded the sound in my field notes as “wheet wheeo wheet wheeo wheet wheet” but all the official references I found record it as “witchety-witchety-witchety-witch”. I did manage to photograph him before continuing on the trail. We decided to walk the trail backwards, but only made it 1/3 mile before turning around again due to water on the trail. Unfortunately, we did not realize how wet it would be and did not wear the appropriate foot gear. We saw signs of new growth, so I hope the normal temperatures return soon and the spring wildflowers begin to bloom. Unfortunately, the north wind that plagued us all winter returned yesterday, and the temperatures dropped back into the 40s last night with highs only predicted in the mid 50s. Tonight we may see a freeze, so normal temperatures elude us again.

Common Yellowthroat watching me as I photographed him.

Circle B Bar Reserve

2010-02-16T13:34:00.000-05:00

A semblance of normal weather returned to Central Florida the end of January. We enjoyed a morning hike on January 16 with a fellow Florida Master Naturalist to see the Salt Spring at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs Park in Port Richey. Divers explored down to 320 ft in this spring, but to see it from the surface it looks like any normal part of a small river or creek.
On January 17 we drove to Circle B Bar Reserve. Local birders, including several friends, raved about the birding and photography here. We agree completely. The morning started cold at 46 degrees F. Leaving the house at 6 a.m., we encountered rush hour traffic on I75 and I4. Upon arrival, we discovered that the reserve opens at 6:30 a.m. and many photographers and birders already walked the trails. We plan to leave much earlier next trip. The car thermometer recorded a chilly 40 degrees at 8 a.m. as we started our walk. We hurried a bit more than usual to get to a sunny area. The number of birds, and of bird species, astounded us. Although concentrating more on photography, we still counted over 35 species during our morning there. We hiked Heron Hideout leading to the marsh, then along Alligator Alley until we reached Lake Hancock. We doubled back at that point, and continued on Marsh Rabbit Run to Wading Bird Way. We again doubled back when we hit Eagle Roost. Walking back along Marsh Rabbit Run coming up on noon, the sun warmed up the air nicely, probably hitting 70 degrees. The alligators and turtles started to appear, hauling themselves up on banks and logs to bask in the sun. I estimate we walked a little over 4 miles, and took nearly 100 photographs. Walking along Wading Bird Way, the Tree Swallows swooped and flew all around us. Though impossible to get a photograph of one as they didn’t slow down long enough, several shots taken of scenes and other birds contain the stray shadow of a wing from the swallow diving into lens range just as the shutter was released.

American Alligator makes an appearance at Circle B Bar as the sun warms the air

The unseasonably cold weather made a comeback later in the week, and has continued with little improvement. A small break appears to be coming this weekend. I hope it lasts and we finally return to normal temperature ranges.

Another Cool Week

2010-01-26T17:45:00.000-05:00

Low morning temperatures and a comparable dew point meant cool, overcast, foggy conditions most mornings last week. Monday we hiked at Honeymoon Island State Park on the Osprey Trail, just to the eagle nest. No eagles seen in the nest, or in the surrounding trees. Hiking back, we encountered mosquitoes, in spite of the cool weather of the day and the prior cold weather pattern.
Tuesday we decided to explore. We started early in the morning, with the temperatures barely reaching 45 and a dense fog. The first stop at Perry Oldenburg Mitigation Park just north of Brooksville, FL didn’t look promising as road equipment worked along leveling the dirt road ahead of us. With dense fog, we stopped briefly to photograph a landscape and left.
The fog started to lift when we arrived at Johnson Pond Trail at the Two-Mile Prairie Tract of the Withlacoochee State Forest. The trail looked interesting, and we noted it for a future trip. Bright sun finally came out as we arrived at our last stop for the day, Potts Preserve Trail north of Inverness. A male Northern Cardinal took either a like or dislike to our car, it was hard to tell. He would not leave it alone, perching on one front door and then another looking into the side view mirrors. We took a brief hike and noted that there are two trails, one blazed orange and one blue. The weather apparently kept other hikers away, as we saw no one at Johnson Pond Trail and only two others at Potts Preserve who left as we arrived.

The week ended with our bi-weekly bird count at Brooker Creek Preserve. The temperature registered 60 degrees, but a strong and cold east wind along with overcast skies made it seem much cooler. The wet winter that we experienced so far this season really shows. The main channel of the creek is running strong, and water covered the trail by 2-3 inches on the last part of our route, something none of us experienced before on that part of the trail.

The Frozen South

2010-01-13T15:10:00.000-05:00

The record breaking cold continues here in our area of Florida. Eleven days passed so far without hitting 60 degrees during the day, and plunging down to the 20s or 30s at night. We shattered the last record of seven days in a row set in 1980. Regardless, we put on layers of clothes and ventured out Monday morning to do our bi-weekly bird count at Brooker Creek Preserve. The car thermometer recorded 29 degrees when we started out at 7:15 a.m. This route involves a good amount of driving, with designated stops where we walk about, so wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Even so, in spite of all our layers of clothing, we froze. We recorded just over 20 species, quite low but for the morning but not bad considering the conditions. The frost looked like snow, and a thin layer of ice covered most standing water.

Birding and Field Guides

2010-01-08T08:11:00.000-05:00

“Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy.” Roger Tory Peterson

When hiking or photographing, whether in the woods or while touring, we bird. Our interest started many years ago, but it is within the last six or seven years that we began taking it more seriously. To improve our knowledge, and to contribute, we participate in a citizen science project at Brooker Creek Preserve to count birds on a bi-weekly basis. Each member of the team exhibits different strengths, and we all learn from one another.
Over the years I spoke to many different people who are avid and accomplished birders, and one of my first questions relates to the field guide they use. The answers vary, and while most use more than one, there inevitably exists a favorite they prefer.
My unscientific queries and research show that Peterson Field Guides remain the classic, with Sibley’s Field guide not far behind. Kaufman Focus Guides©, National Geographic, and Stokes Field Guide to Birds all rate high. For me, over the years I examined all of them, and at this point purchased all but one (which is on my “want” list). I suggest you ask local serious birds that you know about their favorites, and try out all if you can, before deciding which goes with you in the field all the time. While one may be in my pack at all times, I keep all within easy reach. If you are aware of others that you like, let me know.
This Florida Scrub Jay is endemic to Florida. I photographed this one at Oscar Scherer State Park. I highly recommend Oscar Scherer State Park not only for birding, but any type of hiking and nature study.

Changing Seasons Hike

2010-01-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

Karl and I lead a Changing Seasons hike at Brooker Creek Preserve twice a month. The hike points out the changing seasons here in Central Florida, and yes, we do have four distinct seasons. Our seasons just don’t manifest themselves as prominently as the fall colors of New England, or the winter snows of the Buffalo area.
Hikes this month won’t require a great deal of explanation. The cold spell that started late December, with a two day break, came back with a vengeance. Low temperatures predicted in the 30 degree range, with highs barely 50 remind our northern visitors of home, perhaps a bit more than they expected or wanted.
As requested by a reader, more pictures have been posted. I read and appreciate your comments, please keep them coming.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it is the holidays already, and the end of the first decade of the 21st Century. Ten years ago I was the Technology Manager on knowledge management products; working with the programmers to make sure everything was Y2K compliant. How things have changed over the past 10 years. I moved on to 3 different positions after that, all international, and then retired and started the photography business with Karl.

I have a very positive feeling about 2010. We are starting to conduct photography hikes, and depending upon interest we will see where that leads. The http://www.nichterphotography.com/ site is in its beta release. We are learning which photographs work well online, and which look better printed and matted. Field Notes will continue in 2010, and hopefully I will be a bit better on positing. In addition to our photography field trips, I will start including our nature study and observations. For us, they are interrelated. I also plan to be a bit more descriptive on the areas we hike, specifically which trails, and other items of interest to provide information to others who may be interested in hiking those areas.

Happy New Year and New Decade!

Everglades: Heading Home

2009-12-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

Monday November 23, 2009

We left Everglades City early, driving north on US 29, then turning on Oil Well Road. A river otter decided to cross the road just as we came up on him. We burned about a thousand miles off the tires as Karl slammed on the breaks, and maneuvered to miss him. A little later in the drive, I saw some vultures and another bird on the side of the road. I realized I saw my first Crested Caracara.
As the first members of the public on the Corkscrew Swamp boardwalk that morning, we enjoyed a very quiet, beautiful walk. Fox Squirrels played in the cypress trees, and a gray squirrel ate the cypress cone and dropped the remains very close to where we stood. It reminded me of the peanut shell strewn floors of certain bars. We took photographs of a Red-shouldered Hawk and a Yellow Crowned Night Heron in the perfect morning light. We stayed about 2.5 hours, then headed toward home.

Fakahatchee Strand: November 22, 2009

2009-12-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

We met at 9:00 a.m. at the Ranger Station. Mike Owen, Park Biologist, gave an introductory talk explaining the Fakahatchee Strand, its geology, biology, and history. Carpooling, we drove 6 miles north on Jane’s Scenic Highway and parked near Gate 12. A short walk further up the road, and Mike stopped. He pointed to a barely noticeable opening in the vegetation and said “This is west slough, we’ll start here”. We all stepped down into the water a little gingerly, prodding with our hiking sticks and feeling along the bottom with our feet. Tannin in the leaves causes the water in the swamp to turn a dark brown, nearly impossible to see through in most cases. We slowly walked; using our feet like a Wood Stork, except in the Wood Stork’s case the shuffle locates food. In our case, it keeps us on our feet and not sitting in the water. Water depth varied from calf deep to thigh deep. Avoiding vines, roots, and cypress knees while listening to Mike and gazing around took up the next 3 hours. Perhaps the most famous orchid, the Ghost Orchid, was not in bloom, but we did see one and its unusual flat green roots. The clamshell orchids in bloom made the trip worthwhile for many, though just being in the swamp did it for me. I cannot describe the peace and quiet of this trek. I highly recommend it, even if you are a little concerned. We did not see even one snake or alligator, but did see plenty of plants, trees and flowers.

Everglades: Saturday November 21, 2009

2009-11-30T15:12:00.000-05:00

We started at Kirby Storter Boardwalk. The early morning fog created a quiet, peaceful setting. As we started on the boardwalk, we saw three vultures high in a tree silhouetted in the fog. As we walked the environment changed to swamp and ended in a pond. The swamp was active with several Great Egrets stalking an early breakfast. The pure white against the trees and dark water was almost startling.

We planned to drive the Loop Road, but a check on the internet revealed that part of it was closed due to hazardous conditions and future road work. Instead, we drove the Turner River Road to Wagonwheel Road to Birdon Road loop. H.P. Williams Roadside Park is on the right hand side as you turn on Turner River Road. The boardwalk there overlooks the water and usually offers a view of a number of birds and alligators. Just beyond the park entrance Turner River Road turns into a dirt road. The water on the right hand side as we drove north on Turner River Road teemed with birds. We saw Great Egrets, Tri-Color Herons, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons (juvenile and adult), Black-crowned Night Herons (juvenile and adult), Anhingas, Cattle Egret, American Bittern, White Ibis, and Kingfishers. I finally photographed a Belted Kingfisher perched in a tree, rather than on the usual electric wire.
For lunch we took a picnic back to the picnic benches at Kirby Storter Boardwalk. The fog of morning had given way to a clear, sunny day, so after lunch we walked the boardwalk again. Bird activity was greater, and in the pond I saw several turtles.
Shark Valley
We met our group at 2:30 p.m. at Shark Valley. As we arrived a bit early, we set out with cameras to walk part of the trail. Alligators sunned themselves right next to the trail. I kept a very close eye on them as we walked by. Several years ago I saw a mother alligator take off after an otter that grabbed one of her young. Learning that an alligator can run 30 mph for a short distance is nothing like actually witnessing it. Two Red Bellied turtles crossed the path directly as we walked by, slipping out of the water on one side and back in on the other. We went back to the meeting place, and had a fascinating naturalist led tram tour with our group.

Field Trip to the Everglades

2009-11-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists organized a trip November 21 and 22 to the Everglades. Karl and I went early on Friday and returned home Monday afternoon.
Friday November 20, 2009
We planned an early start, but I don’t function very well early in the morning so it was 4:45 a.m. before we left. We drove to Corkscrew Swamp, and based on research and Mapquest thought it would take approximately 3 – 3.25 hours. Unfortunately, traffic at various sections of the trip stretched it out to 3.45 hours. Our hike on the 2.25 mile boardwalk started at 8:30 a.m. After examining the board of Recently Sighted animals, we slowly began walking. Warblers were everywhere, and I was able to identify a first year Northern Parula with the help of my 100mm-400mm lens. As we walked, several people asked if we had seen the bear (we had not). Apparently a young bear had been seen from the boardwalk earlier. Our last trip to Corkscrew Swamp was a couple of years ago during the drought. The difference after a normal rainy season was striking. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher paused briefly and I quickly took a photograph. We saw many Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons. There were several beautiful Swamp Lilies visible, and plenty of Dahoon Holly and Red Bay. The Elephant Flag was past its prime, and most leaves obviously had been munched. We stayed until almost 11 a.m., then drove to Everglades City. Lunch at a local Everglades City restaurant was a local favorite, according to the waitress, a gator burger. We spent the afternoon driving along US 41 and stopping frequently, enjoying the scenery and getting our bearing. US 41 west had the water along the side, and I lost count of all of the Tri-color Herons, Great Egrets, and Alligators. We stayed at Everglades City Motel, which I highly recommend. The new owner has been there a year, and spent quite a lot on upgrades. There still is a lot to do, so there may be some glitches, but we were very impressed with the rooms, and especially the prompt, courteous service.

Honeymoon Island State Park

2009-11-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

The nice, cool weather and a conversation with a fellow Master Naturalist prompted us to visit Honeymoon Island State Park this morning. We arrived at 8:10 a.m. to 68 degrees and a steady breeze from the north. Unfortunately, we noticed a sign that said the nature trail would be closed for a prescribed burn. Not to be deterred, we changed our plans and walked toward the beach. The Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaries) beautiful with its delicate purple flowers was everywhere on the side of the trail, a definite sign that autumn has arrived. Today is low tide, and the shell collectors wandered around the rocky shore looking for some treasures. Surprisingly, we saw very few shore birds. A few pelicans and cormorants fished just off the beach.

Disappointed in both the photography opportunities and the nature observation, we headed back to the café where we drank coffee on the deck and enjoyed the weather and the location.

Florida Master Naturalist

2009-10-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

On Monday I completed the Uplands module of the University of Florida’s Florida Master Naturalist program. This was my third and final module, and I now join Karl as a graduate of the program. In addition to the classroom instruction, we went on three field trips.
At Flatwoods Park Mary Miller of the Tampa Audubon Society presented a program of her work for the last five years, maintaining and monitoring the bluebird boxes on the Bluebird Trail. The more than 360 bluebird trails in North America have contributed to the rebound in the bluebird population from the serious decline it suffered which was brought to the public’s attention in the 1970s. The presentation was fascinating, and Mary Miller’s dedication inspiring.
The field trip to Oscar Scherer State Park occurred on one of those record breaking heat days this October. We hiked two different trails, and learned about prescribed burns, scrub, and flatwoods.
Our third field trip was to Chinsegut Nature Center. George Heinrich gave a fascinating and insightful presentation on the Gopher Tortoise while the sky turned dark and the rain lashed outside. Luckily it stopped in time for our morning hike on the Nature Center Trail, and for our afternoon adventure in Perry Ogden Mitigation Park where we learned to count Gopher Tortoise burrows using a transect.
We both highly recommend this program for anyone interested in the ecology and nature in Florida. In addition to graduating from this program, on Monday Karl and received notification that we passed our Certified Interpretive Guide training, and are now officially CIGs.

Myakka River State Park

2009-10-27T08:10:00.000-04:00

The temperatures and humidity eased last week week, so we took advantage and spent Wednesday (10/21/09) at Myakka River State Park. Karl sought out any of the fall wildflowers that might still be in bloom, and I enjoyed (and photographed) the butterflies. The temperature hovered around 66 degrees when we arrived, ten minutes before the park opened. We proceeded to Power Line Road and walked there for a couple of miles, then returned to the car and checked out the bird platform. Activity at the bird platform was limited, so we went to Fox’s High Road and hiked there for a while.
We saw many feral hogs (Sus scrofa) foraging at the edge of the road, and just off the road into the wooded areas. They seem to be getting used to people and cars. This one never even lifted her head as cars went by, or people stopped to get out of the cars and photograph or observe her.

Certified Interpretive Guides

2009-09-23T14:53:00.000-04:00

We haven’t been doing much hiking or field photography over the summer, due to the heat and the mosquitoes, but we are starting to make our travel plans for the autumn. We did visit Upstate and Central New York State during August. I had hoped to publish to the blog while we were there, but the connection on the Broadband2go card was not particularly good from our location. We visited a few very interesting places, and I will be posting blog entries about them now that we are finished with our CIG training.

Karl and I both attended the four day training to become Certified Interpretive Guides through the National Association for Interpretation. (http://www.interpnet.com/). It is some pretty intense training. The training covers interpretation, and developing and delivering your own programs. The 50 question open book test took some time, as did developing the outline for a 10-minute program and then delivering it. An 80% or better must be scored on each one of these three in order to pass. This is in addition to the training sessions. The test is scored by the NAI. We did OK on the outline and presentation part, so we will know for sure in one month if we can now put C.I.G. after our names. We are really looking forward to developing our own programs. In fact, I hope to extend the 10-minute presentation I did into a longer presentation for Brooker Creek Preserve.

On the Road...

2009-08-04T13:53:00.001-04:00

Not much fieldwork took place in July. We went for a short hike and to capture some wildflower shots last week at Brooker Creek Preserve, and the mosquitos nearly carried us away.

Tomorrow we start a road trip from here in west central Florida to western New York State. We will be visiting family and friends for a few weeks, and also enjoying the ability to hike and work on our photography again. Karl wants to expand his wildflower portfolio with some local species, and I am planning to work on a Water portfolio, especially the waterfalls that are so prevalent in central and western New York.

We are taking 3 days to drive the 1200 mile/20 hour route. We haven't scheduled any stops or made any reservations. We want to keep the ability to stop and enjoy any area that catches our eye without needing to be somewhere.

I'll be keeping this blog updated with our field notes from the road.

The Rookery

2009-07-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

The hot, humid weather has arrived in Central Florida so field work has slowed down.

A small, fenced retention pond north of us has been the site of a rookery for many years. This year I started visiting every week or two to observe and photograph. The fence prevents anyone from getting too close, but I still watched carefully to make sure none of my actions seemed to disturb the nesting birds. Two months ago on my first visit I saw Wood Storks, Anhinga, Great Egret, Cattle Egret and Snowy Egret all nesting. I watched the beautiful display of a Great Egret courtship, the dipping and swaying with the breeding plumage extended and the incredible lore color. Weather and schedule conspired against a visit for the last two weeks. I finally found the time early this morning and the weather cooperated. The Wood Storks are all gone. They normally breed during the drier season when prey is concentrated in one area, so the timing is right for this area of Florida.

I enjoyed watching two young Wood Storks grow up over the two months. These three photographs show the two Wood Storks growing over 6 – 8 weeks. They really grew into those legs.

2009-06-16T17:09:00.001-04:00

Brooker Creek Preserve Tarpon Springs, FL

We went to Brooker Creek Preserve early this morning as the day was shaping up to be another hot and humid one and we wanted to get our photography done early. Karl is working on his series of local wildflowers, and the Loblolly Bay (Gordonia lasianthus) are in bloom. The flowers are approximately 3”, white with very yellow centers. There are some along the trails, and if you look across the saw palmettos at the Pine Flatwoods Shelter, the trees in the distance are all covered with what appear from a distance to be big white puffs.
The main channel is very low on water, and not flowing yet. The water to your left as you cross the boardwalk from the parking lot is covered with salvinia and duck weed. If you look closely, you can see the alligator hiding in the weeds. He was swimming so slowly he was not even disturbing the weed cover.

Honeymoon Island State Park Nature Center Gallery

2009-06-15T15:48:00.000-04:00

Karl and I are in our last week of exhibiting our nature photography in the gallery at the Nature Center at Honeymoon Island State Park. It was our first gallery exhibition, and we did have some concerns due to the economy; however, it turned out our concerns were unfounded. We are very pleased with the results of the exhibition, and thrilled with the interest and cooperation of the manager of the center and the volunteers. We received wonderful feedback from them, and great care was taken with the exhibited photographs.

The exhibit itself featured photography of Honeymoon Island. Most of the photographs show the nature aspects of Honeymoon Island, the diversity of the plants and animals located there and on Caledesi Island. We spent many hours walking the beaches and trails of the island to try to capture the “sense of place”. These walks resulted in several photographs that really felt like Honeymoon Island; in particular, the photograph of a sunset seen through the back slats of one of the signature benches that can be found all along the beaches and trails. The benches are unique, and have always been a part of Honeymoon Island to me.

Honeymoon Island is a special place for Karl and me. It was walking their nature trails almost 4 years ago that we happened upon a nature photographer. On seeing some of the images we captured (the beauty of digital photography), she suggested we may want to consider selling some of our images. We had both been serious hobby photographers through the years, with Karl doing a stint as professional wedding photographer during his college years, and that was just the encouragement we needed to move ourselves forward.We hike and photograph there frequently, so Field Notes will contain many more entries about Honeymoon Island in the future. If you are anywhere in the area, I recommend a visit. If the weather is not conducive to a beach day or hike, head to the café, get a cup of coffee, and sit on the deck watching the waves and sand. That is what we do.