The not so usual suspects....

We had a great day at Joe Overstreet Landing in search of some summer birds. On the way out we stopped to photograph a handful of Swallow Tail Kites perched on a tree by the road. This was a fantastic surprise to find these beautiful birds that migrate to Brazil in the summer months.With a little work, we were able to find a Bobwhite who posed nicely on the fence post. Eastern Meadowlarks were abundant but not many of them were willing to pose for any length of time.

Preening in the Sunlight

Looking for some love

At Overstreet Landing we spotted one Snail Kite eating an apple snail. There was only one pass by while looking for the snail.

Cattle Ranching on Overstreet Ranch

A Walk in the Woods - Lake Lotus

Sometimes the places close to home get overlooked and we just think about going another time. That place is Lake Lotus Park. I pass it every time I drive out to Lake Apopka and plan to go there sometime. The park is only open four days a week so you have to plan your time. Weekends involve parking offsite and taking a shuttle to the park. Since I was in the area for a dental appointment, I brought my camera along and visited the park afterwards. There is a boardwalk that borders the lake so that is where I started. Not expected too much wildlife, I was surprised to see two green herons right away. As I continued, I heard some tapping. Up above were two pileated woodpeckers. They were not exactly out in the open but I took some shots anyways. Continuing along the boardwalk that was extremely slippery with all the rain, I could hear some hawks but never got a good look. Returning back I found the woodpeckers again and followed as they moved through the forest. On the last section walking toward the parking area I heard two barred owls. One stayed put as he/she had a mouse for breakfast. The other owl flew to several different perches allowing some photos along the way. All in all it was a great day at the park.

Terns at the Beach

This was my first experience photographing nesting terns on the beach. I brought a chair and picked a spot outside of the roped off area. While I was not moving and sitting the terns were not bothered by me but if I stood up, they started flying straight at me. Not wanting to upset them, I just stayed put in my chair. A pair of black skimmers that were nesting were also rather upset if anyone got close and being dive bombed by those larger birds was a little unsettling. The roped off distance was still a little too close for their comfort.

I found it very challenging to shoot both the tiny birds and when they were in flight. They seem to fly very erraticlly as they search for their youngsters to provide a fish treat. It seems that they know which kid is theirs and will not give the fish to another.

I need to work on focusing and maybe not rely on a single focus point. Next trip to the beach I will do some experimenting with the different focus modes.