The Big Day

Having recently watched the movie, The Big Year, I was excited to be out with a friend to explore some new birding trails. We headed out early to  a popular spot called Joe Overstreet which is south of St. Cloud and near Kenansville. Early morning fog made the sunrise spectacular. Both sides of the road had pasture land and sod farms. Meadowlarks were spotted on the fence posts, eagles soaring over the trees and sand hill cranes in the pastures. A group of cows came walking over to see why we were so excited about a small, yellow bird. There is something special about being out in the early morning away from the crowds of the city. At the end of the road is Lake Apopka and a boat ramp. Birds were plentiful at the waters edge.
The second stop was Three LakesWildlife Management Area. There seemed to be fewer birds, but we did get to see a pair of Sandhill Cranes with a new baby. I was really hoping  to see Crested Caracaras but didn't see any at the first two birding trails. We were heading back to town when I spotted a pair of caracaras on a telephone pole. I did get one recognizable shot of one of them flying away. One last stop in St. Cloud at the waterfront park where we added a few more species including a limpkin.
It was great fun exploring new areas and trying to see as many species of birds as possible. And it was The Big Day! At least for now.

An Eastern Medowlark posed on the fence post.

Ranch Rodeo Day - Yee Haw!

Wild Cow Milking

Wild Cow Milking

Relay

A great day at the Central Florida Fair - We went there to see the Ranch Rodeo primarily, not eat junk food and ride the rides. Ranch Rodeo is different from the traditional rodeo in that the events are similar to what the real cowboys do every day on the ranch. Teams from the different ranches or counties participate in five events that showcase their everyday skills on the ranch. Each team participates in Calf Branding (using chalk only for the branding), Mugging, Cattle Sorting, Relay Race around barrels, and Wild Cow Milking. It was extremely challenging to try to follow the action with the camera. There are calves and five team members on horses trying to separate the calf with the selected number on his back. The second challenge was the busy background with spectators, vehicles, and stadium light poles. I didn't get the iconic shot of the calf running towards the camera and the cowboy about to lasso him. But, I think I caught some action shots.