Back to my home town, Longmeadow...

I was recently up in Massachusetts, Longmeadow to be exact, visiting with my Dad who is in rehab from a fall back in March. In between visits and my to do list I found a little time to check out a wildlife sanctuary that is only minutes from the house. The place is called Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Sanctuary and runs between Interstate 91 and the Connecticut River. We refer to the place as the "Meadows" and I had never thought of it for photo ops. I didn't bring my "birding" lens but had a 18-270 lens with me. I found some interesting wildlife. I saw the first beaver I have seen in many years. He was moving fast but when he stopped to gnaw on a tree it was hard to get a clear shot with the sticks and twigs between us. The next day I did see a smaller beaver who was out in the open. There was a huge Canada Geese nest out in the water. Goslings will be hatching soon. The most prevalent birds were red winged black birds, robins, yellow rumped warblers and tree swallows. Later on I did see many different types of warblers but am still trying to ID them. I love the look, feel and sounds of springtime. I thought I would only be taking pictures of flowers but I was too early for my favorite Bleeding Hearts. Tulips and daffodils were blooming along with the forsythias, dogwoods and other flowering trees.

Canada Geese

Saturday Night in Sanford!

Looking for any excuse to not clean my house or cut the grass, I decided to drive up to Sanford in the late afternoon to check on the Osprey nest and photograph the new babies. It was a hot day, but very comfortable standing on the shore of Lake Monroe with nice cool breezes. I  was able to see two of the babies easily but the third was much smaller and not visible most of the time. I hope it starts to feed and thrive along with its siblings. After a lot of patience one of the osprey pair brought home dinner to the family. On the way home driving along Lake Shore drive  the sun was setting. The sun was a huge orange/red ball and I was able to stop and get off a few shots before it dipped below the horizon. Unfortunately there was not much of an interesting foreground.

Lake Monroe sunset

Dinner Delivery

Surprising Day at Gatorland

Last minute changes in the weather and other factors caused me to rethink my photo plans for the day. When time is limited my go to place for bird photography is always Gatorland. It's a short trip and I can be done early and move on to other things. I always check the nests first for new arrivals. I have been waiting for a cormorant whose nest is close to the tower to hatch some chicks. They are there now and can't be very old and with faces only a mother could love. With patience she finally re-positioned herself revealing the chicks for a short time. With the vegetation growing, most of the nests are becoming harder to get a clear shot. The surprise of the day came when I spotted three red-bellied woodpeckers chasing and playing around the palm trees. From the walkway from the tower the view is pretty good. Among the numerous shots, I was able to get a few keepers. The next surprise came after I left and was headed to the office. As I approached the parking lot I spotted a Swallowtail Kite soaring around fairly low to the ground. Of course, my camera was put away in the backpack in the trunk. I took a few quick shots with my "point and shoot" Sony and then parked the car. The kite was still  there so I grabbed the camera and got a few shots off before he flew directly over my head and then moved on.

Photographer for a Day at Sun 'n Fun Air Show

The Blue Angels at Sunrise

The Blue Angels

The Blue Angels

A Young Fan

It was a perfect day for an air show as a group of us from the OCC with our media passes in hand arrived in Lakeland at Sun 'n Fun Air Show. First stop at dawn in the fog was the Balloon Launch.

Afternoon at Viera

Not one owl, but Two!

I went in search of owls at Mead Gardens and was successful. I found two barred owls snuggling on a high branch. It wasn't the best light conditions for a great photo but I did the best I could. I moved around as much as I dared without having them fly off. They didn't seem to mind me being there. I was happy to have captured my first owls that weren't in captivity.

Lens workout at the Wetlands

Blue Winged Teal

Glossy Ibis

Great Blue Heron Keeping Watch

Roseate Spoonbill

Wild Iris

Yellow-rumped warbler

I was invited to tag along  with a friend and an experienced birder at the Orlando Wetlands Park. I was using my camera on a monopod and upped the ISO due to the overcast conditions. As the clouds dissipated I lowered the iso to 400. I think the overcast conditions help with bird photography for the most part. I can acutally get some images of the smaller birds with the bigger lens.