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.

Putting the new lens through its paces ...

Snowy Egret at Gatorland

Just got my Photography Pass for Gatorland for 2014. I haven't been at the Rookery since last June. They have thinned out the brush but the birds all seem happy and sitting on nests. Not too many babies yet. The anhingas have some younguns but not too many egret babies. Gatorland is a great place to practice birds in flight photography since  you don't have to wait long for a bird to fly over. My challenge will be to hand hold the 80-400 lens.

Afternoon at Viera Wetlands

Great afternoon photographing birds at Viera. I finally got my photo of the Crested Caracara. It just sat on a branch and posed for all the bird paparazzis.

Owls, Otters and Osprey, Oh my!

River otter on Shingle Creek, S. Orlando

Thick ferns on the west side of Shingle Creek. Taken with 100mm macro lens

Sunday morning early I went down to Shingle Creek to practice some macro photography. I did bring a longer lens along in case I saw some birds or wildlife. As soon as I started down the trail an owl swooped in and landed in a tree. I could only get a blurry shot because I had the 100mm lens on the camera. I was looking for some apple snail shells to photograph up close. Before I found them I noticed two otters playing in the river. Now, I had to switch lenses to get their picutre. I discovered that I didn't have a plate for the tripod collar on the lens and had to hand hold it. I propped the lens and myself against a tree and took shots until they decided to move on.

Near miss, dog bite and birds galore!!

I set out early on a foggy morning to Kenansville and Joe Overstreet Road to look for and photograph birds. After a near- miss on the road (car turned left into me, I swerved and he missed me.)After I stopped shaking and thanking the Lord for protecting me, I continued to my destination. I couldn't see many birds until the fog was gone but I could hear them. I went to the end at Lake Kissimmee but didn't see much except for an eagle carrying something off to its nest. All I know for sure is that it was not a fish. I thought I may walk down the road some where I dog came out to greet me. Correction, he came out to bite me! Only a nip and didn't break the skin but I did have a bruise from it. Cancel that idea and return to the car (carefully  going back past the now vicious dog's house!)

Driving back down Joe Overstreet Road I spotted Eastern Meadowlarks, eagles, hawks, glossy ibis and sandhill cranes. Continuing to Three Lakes WMA, I wasn't sure what I may find there. I checked out a trail for a short time and also found a viewing platform on Lake Jackson. We sure have a lot of vultures here in Florida. On the way back down the road I found an eagles nest close to the road. With the binocs I spotted the eagle who was sitting on the nest. A caracara was perched in a tree near the road but I never got a photo of it. When driving alone once you spot something and stop you are usually past it and either have to back up or get out of the car and scare the bird away.

Tis the Season . . .

Photo taken during the Murder City 5th Annual Christmas Lights Walk.